Scooter Hobbs

If nothing else, LSU should return home from tonight’s game at Florida with a pretty good handicappers’ eye for the Southeastern Conference Championship game.

The Tigers (3-5) just hosted Alabama clinching its SEC West spot in the championship game.

Tonight they get a look at the Gators (8-1), who will be the East representative in next week’s big game regardless of what happens in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium against LSU.

“It’s the SEC. That’s why you signed up,” LSU head coach Ed Orgeron said of facing this season’s division winners in consecutive weeks. “You’ve just got to be ready. Turn the page … on to Florida.”

It’s just another reminder for the Tigers how far they’ve fallen since they played in and easily won the SEC title game last year en route to an undefeated national championship.

LSU beat Florida 42-28 last year. Tonight the Tigers are 231⁄2-point underdogs.

Oh, but there’s more.

If Orgeron had a vote in the Heisman Trophy race, it also might carry more weight after playing the Gators.

He can compare Alabama quarterback Mac Jones to Florida’s Kyle Trask, maybe the two leading contenders for the trophy that LSU’s Joe Burrow won a year ago.

For that matter, both teams think they have dark horse candidates from the non-quarterback division — Alabama with wide receiver DeVonta Smith (who went postal on the Tigers for 231 yards and three touchdowns) and Florida with tight end Kyle Pitts, who may be licking his chops for a night with the SEC’s worst statistical pass defense.

“We have got to know where that tight end is for sure,” Orgeron said of Pitts. “He gave us fits last year.”

Bottom line: LSU’s struggling defense will, in back-to-back weeks, play the SEC’s top two offenses in scoring and passing. Bama is the league’s top scoring attack, the Gators No. 2. Florida has the most passing yards, including 38 touchdown passes by Trask, while Bama is No. 2.

For that matter, it won’t get much easier. If the Tigers want to look ahead to the season finale at home next week, they’ll see Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss’ Lane Train offense, which is third in scoring and total offense and leads the SEC in rushing.

That’s the SEC’s three best offenses over the final three weeks of a trying season.

Until last week’s Alabama track meet, the Tigers’ defense had taken baby steps in a win over Arkansas before losing to Texas A&M 20-7 despite allowing 267 yards to the Aggies.

“Very disappointed in the way we played against Alabama, obviously,” Orgeron said. “Before the Alabama game we made tremendous progress … and then we didn’t. They’re a great offense but we gave up some big balls, gave up some big runs. We got blocked, we were out of our gaps. We had some missed assignments.”

That’s been a recurring theme for the Tigers.

“I’m not disappointed with the players,” Orgeron said. “I think our players gave us the best shot they could, but we could have coached better. We made some mistakes. We made some mental errors. As far as the effort and the want-to, it was there.

“We have to play our best football to beat able to beat Florida. They pose problems, but we’ve got to take care of LSU first. We’ve got to put our cleats in the grass, eliminate explosive plays, score more points on offense and play great on special teams to even think about beating them.”Florida quarterback Kyle Trask (11) throws a pass as Kentucky linebacker Jamar Watson (31) rushes during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020, in Gainesville, Fla.

John Raoux / Associated Press