Come Saturday, when LSU faces Oregon on a national stage, the teams finally get to push aside the offseason tumult that has rocked both programs. The No. 4 Tigers will be without quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who is facing charges connected with a bar fight on Aug. 19; and receiver Russell Shepard will sit out after violating NCAA rules surrounding an ongoing recruiting investigation. The No. 3 Ducks won’t have All-American cornerback Cliff Harris, suspended indefinitely after he was clocked driving a rental car at 118 mph. And, like LSU, Oregon is under investigation by the NCAA. But even without the peripheral controversy, the game would be big: The perennial SEC contender and the Pac-12 upstart with the flashy uniforms open the season at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. LSU finished 11-2 last season and was ranked No. 8 in the final AP poll after its victory against Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Oregon went 12-1, defeated only by Auburn in the BCS championship game. The Ducks wrapped up the season ranked No. 3. While the off-field messes won’t go away, the teams likely hope the start of the season means those concerns are left to just smolder in the background. The game kicks off at 7 p.m. and will be televised by ABC.
Today’s poll question: Who will win Saturday’s LSU-Oregon game?
