Paul Finebaum discusses what a loss to Florida State would mean for LSU

LSU and Florida State will engage in battle once again in Week 1 to kick-off their respective seasons in a Sunday-evening thriller on Labor Day weekend.

The return game in Orlando after last year’s bout in New Orleans is a huge opportunity for both squads, but will also set one side back pretty significantly to start the year, since both schools have College Football Playoff aspirations.

Especially for LSU, this game looms large as the Tigers must avenge last year’s dramatic loss and have to keep their non-conference record clean before they hit the ground running against a very difficult SEC slate.

On McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, the two hosts brought on the SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum to discuss the matchup from LSU’s perspective. He says it’s a worrisome game for the Tigers and it would be a big blow if they lost.

“I’m pretty concerned about that game. I don’t know any legitimate person — outside of some guy in the Bayou calling into your show or mine who’s screaming and hollering about how great they are — can feel confident going into that game,” said Finebaum.

Cole Cubelic then asked what the consequences of another loss to FSU would be for LSU.

“I think it puts a lot of heat on them,” answered Finebaum. “Unless Florida State just looks like Jameis Winston-led Florida State from 10 years ago, I think it’s going to be about LSU.”

Defeat in Week 1 would really be a cannon ball LSU’s sails at the very beginning of the year.

“I think the real problem for LSU with a loss is suddenly, the season gets very uncomfortable. The oxygen goes out,” Finebaum continued. “Why do I say that? Well, Mississippi State is around the corner in Starkville; you have Ole Miss not long after that in Oxford; you have the Alabama game.”

Those are all scary matchups. And even though LSU came out on top against those teams a year ago, he says it’s a whole new dance this time around.

“You can’t compare last season. By the time the big wins started to happen, LSU was just playing for show money. They’d already lost that inexplicable game to Florida State. They had been destroyed by 28 points at home to Tennessee. So their big game last year in many ways was Ole Miss. That was the game that turned their season around, and then they went and beat Alabama the following week.”

The vibe around the program was different, though, because there wasn’t so much expectation and pressure to win big, like there will be this season.

“But they had no pressure. If they lose in two weeks, there will be enormous pressure and that can change the complexity of a season dramatically.”