How to make a Kentucky game important

Give Les Miles credit, he has somehow made a mid-October game against Kentucky one of the biggest of the year for LSU.

No, it's not big in terms of the SEC race. That's over for LSU. You can book that one right now no matter what Les says. And no it's not big in terms of the national picture. LSU played its way out of that last week.

So why is it big?

Because if LSU 2006 doesn't want to become Tennessee 2005, then the Tigers are going to have to put their disappointments behind them and begin taking steps on the road to improvement.

LSU shouldn't have any difficult Saturday.

But this is about more than Saturday. It's about taking steps to becoming a team that plays hard and doesn't beat itself.

Few would have expected LSU to be unbeaten at this point of the season just because of the schedule. But a split of the Auburn and Florida games would not have been unrealistic.

Instead, getting swept has allowed doubt to creep into the fan base.

Miles, I was once told by someone who worked with him, is the kind of coach who can get you to 9-3 but won't get you over the hump into the national elite.

If Miles wants to avoid that rap, then he 'll get his team playing better and finishing strong the rest of the way.