LSU players aren’t afraid of Alabama, but they are aware of the odds

LSU football is in the news every day, and the Bayou Bengal Briefing is here to keep you updated with the latest headlines five mornings a week. Join us every Monday through Friday for the biggest news on Tigers football, recruiting, baseball and more. Enjoy!

Talking season

If there’s one thing LSU vs. Alabama week is always good for, it’s a few good quotes. The Tigers and Tide aren’t rivals because of history, shared territory or tradition. They’re rivals because the two teams are usually really good and play great football against one another.

Because of this, describing the annual matchup is one of my favorite things to ask players and coaches to do. The gist of the conversation this year centered on Alabama’s ability to recruit players who could’ve also ended up in Baton Rouge, and whether LSU’s players are aware of the 21-point underdog status the Tigers hold going into this Saturday.

Rather than rehash all the conversations, I’ll link you to stories about each of the topics told from different perspectives. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

• Foster Moreau is afraid of spiders, not Alabama
• Nick Saban bragged to Devin White when he recruited him. White’s out to prove him wrong. 
• Ed Orgeron isn’t afraid of this challenge…
• …but he is aware of the stakes of the game

Tweet of the day

You’re not going to find many people who are going to pick LSU to win outright this weekend. Against the spread? Maybe. But going into Tuscaloosa and taking a win from the No. 1 Crimson Tide is no easy task.

Unless you ask former LSU safety Rickey Jefferson. He seems to have this predicting thing down.

LSU BEATING BAMA!

— Rickey Jefferson (@Self_Made8_) October 30, 2017

As someone who never beat Alabama while at LSU, Jefferson seems optimistic that his former teammates can pull off the task this weekend. If he’s right, Jefferson should be lauded as a genius. If not, don’t blame him for his hot take. Those are just the times.

In baseball news

LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri released a statement Monday afternoon raving about how great Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman is. As we discussed in the Bayou Bengal Briefing on Monday, Bregman walked off against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series, giving the Astros a 3-2 advantage and putting his team within one win of a championship.

The Astros have a chance to claim that title Tuesday night. Bregman, former LSU pitcher Will Harris and the rest of the Astros will take the field at 7:20 p.m. CT for Game 6 in Los Angeles. With a win, the Astros will have their first World Series championship in franchise history. With a loss, Game 7 here we come.

Elsewhere in sports that aren’t football

Will Wade’s LSU men’s basketball team will take the court for an exhibition game against Tulane in New Orleans on Tuesday night. The game won’t be televised or broadcast on the radio, but you can attend the game if you’re in the area.

Tickets are $5 and all proceeds will go to the American Red Cross for hurricane relief. The contest will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT.

The regular season begins officially on Friday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. CT against Alcorn State in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. SEC Country will update the season as it unfolds.

Watch me, watch me

Every Monday, fellow SEC Country LSU reporter Alex Hickey and I do an hour-long Facebook Live chat with fans. We talk about the biggest storylines of the week, answer fan questions and joke about pretty much anything people ask us. It’s a good time. You can watch our latest video below:

If you haven’t already, like us on Facebook to be there for future live chats. We’ll be looking for you.

Mark your calendars

Alabama week is on your mind. I get it. But the SEC announced when LSU’s game against Arkansas will be played next week. And you’re not going to like it.

The Tigers return to Baton Rouge will kick off at 11 a.m. CT. That’s right. A dreaded morning kickoff. It’s hard to blame the SEC. Auburn vs. Georgia and Alabama vs. Mississippi State are both that day, as well. Tigers vs. Razorbacks is an intriguing matchup and Bret Bielema might be coaching for his job. But this game doesn’t carry the same weight as those other two ranked matchups. Not even close.

Guess that means morning tailgating. Hope you like your hot dogs with orange juice.

Today in very real (bad) holidays

The date is Oct. 31. That means we have to tolerate the worst holiday: Halloween.

I’m a Halloween scrooge. I’ll admit it. This holiday has never appealed to me, and I’ve never been able to understand why it appeals to anyone. It’s built around pretending to be someone you’re not and begging strangers to give you food — two things I don’t take pride in doing.

Plus, I’m an adult. If I want to buy candy, I can go to the store. I live within walking distance of two grocery stores and a drug store. I can buy candy whenever I want. And if I buy candy, I don’t feel like sharing it with strange children walking up to my doorstep. It’s not a precedent I like to set.

This holiday is dumb. Stop trying to scare me and let me watch the World Series in peace. Is that too much to ask?

Anyway, here’s a Halloween themed Happy Endings clip.

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