WBRZ - Baton Rouge

The Tiger football team has won in Oxford for nearly the last ten years.  That streak will come to an end if Tiger quarterback Jordan Jefferson doesn't see the field on the Saturday.  Jefferson has been nursing a low ankle sprain he suffered in the Alabama game, and hasn't played in the last five quarters of football.

The LSU offense hasn't been the same since.   In those five quarters of football back up Jarrett Lee has thrown for 122 yards and one touchdown.  Jefferson accomplished nearly as much in the first half of the Bama game, against one of the best defenses in the country.

That's not to pin it all on Jarrett Lee, he's certainly shoudlered his unfair share of the blame over the course of the last year and a half.  The Tiger coaches didn't help his cause any either against La Tech, calling passing play after passing play when it was clear that Lee and his receivers weren't on the same continent, let alone the same stadium.  Lee was thrown into a no win situation last year, and he's inherited another one this go round. 

LSU will be a little bit more back to normal this week, playing with their starting center again T-Bob Hebert who sat the La Tech game as well.  Running back Keiland Williams proved last week he's willing to step up and into the void left by starter Charles Scott going down with a broken collarbone.  And safety valve tight end Richard Dickson should also be back to action after missing the last two games with a thigh injury.

But it's clear that Jefferson is the lynch pin to success for LSU.  His ability to move the pocket, throw on the run and scramble when a play breaks down will be crucial against the Ole Miss pass rush which ranks 20th in the country, five spots better than LSU.  That being said, his ankle injury may negate all three of those vital aspects to the LSU offense.  Therefore it could come down to LSU's belief in their offense and the confidence of their signal caller.  Even if LSU is limited at the quarterback position, it will be critical for their offense to have an idea, understanding and belief that they can move the ball.  That is something Jefferson brings to the field, and if he's not on the field, LSU has lost before they get off the bus.