It’s easy for it to get lost in the obsession of getting Jayden Daniels to — and maybe across — the finish line in the hotly contested Heisman Trophy race.

But Job One for LSU Saturday morning (yes, ugh, morning!!) needs to be just to beat Texas A&M, by whatever means necessary, possibly even getting the defense involved.

Not to spoil the Thanksgiving leftovers, but that seems to be way too much of a foregone conclusion this week — from Las Vegas (where the Tigers are 10½-point favorites) to Baton Rouge, where the win seems to be a formality.

That’s among the fans.

Surely the Tigers’ know what they’re up against.

Daniels will most likely do what he does, and he needs to.

It will take a monumental dip into creativity for Daniels to somehow get an “eaux” on the name plate of his jersey as another transplant, Joe Burreaux, did for his final game in Tiger Stadium.

Burrow already had the big trophy wrapped up at the time, en route to the bigger prize of the national championship.

Not so, with Daniels.

He’s stockpiled enough Heisman Moments (and games) for a couple of seasons.

But he won’t be playing next week, as will at least one and probably both of his closest pursuers — Washington’s Michael Penix and Oregon’s Bo Nix — for that one last final impression before the votes come in the following Monday.

ESPN didn’t do him any favors with the 11 a.m. kickoff, meaning a sleepy-eyed Tiger Stadium, of course, but mainly that whatever Daniels does will be competing with the Ohio State-Michigan game for the nation’s eyeballs.

If the Heisman was based solely on statistics or a player’s entertainment value, they could give Daniels the trophy during Saturday’s pregame Senior Day festivities.

But, although the Heisman voting instructions mention nothing about won-loss records, the Tigers’ three losses seem to be about the only thing being held against him at the moment.

Never mind that there’s plenty of precedent for it. And it seems like he can probably overcome the 8-3 record. But a fourth loss would surely be frowned upon, even if Daniels cranks out 900 or so yards of total offense against the Aggies.

That’s never out of the question with LSU’s defense.

For sure, don’t assume anything.

You can scout and analyze A&M all week. But with an interim head coach and uncertainty at quarterback, you never know what kind of Aggies will show up.

Last year should have been a prime Exhibit A.

Remember? The Tigers, having already clinched the SEC West championship on the strength of a monumental upset of Alabama, were flying high, favored by 10 and feeling pretty spritey about themselves.

The Aggies, not so much.

Maybe LSU overlooked Texas A&M, which came in at 4-7 and just the week before had broken a six-game losing streak by beating mighty UMass 20-3.

It was easy to take those Aggies for granted.

It wasn’t like LSU mailed it in that night, but surely — and maybe unexpectedly — the Tigers wandered into by far the Aggies’ best game of the season in A&M’s 38-23 upset.

Nobody questioned the Aggies’ talent then, it was just LSU’s misfortune to be there when the same A&M team that earlier lost to Appalachian State finally put something together that resembled its five-star recruiting hauls.

This year’s A&M team has had some embarrassments, even by Aggies standards, most notably the $76 million it is now paying former LSU heartthrob Jimbo Fisher not to coach its team.

Forget Gig ’em, Aggies. How about Giggle at ’em Aggies?

Fisher was fired probably as much for last year’s 5-7 season as for this year’s 6-4 record (7-4 after interim coach Elijah Robinson got A&M past Abilene Christian, meh, 38-10 last week).

Or maybe it takes a little longer to pass the hat, even when it’s an oil-money 10-gallon hat, to fill it with $76 million.

But overlook the Aggies at your own risk. The joke could be on you.

The 7-4 record is one game worse than LSU’s 8-3.

All three of A&M’s SEC losses have been by a touchdown or less.

It’s probably the best defense LSU has faced this season — statistically better than Alabama, No. 1 in the SEC in total defense with a nasty front.

LSU’s offense will have to be up to the task.

The defense may need more stops than it’s accustomed to.

Whatever, bottom line: Just win, baby.

Then let the Heisman votes fall where they may.

a

Scooter Hobbs covers LSU

athletics. Email him at

scooter.hobbs@americanpress.com