I am well aware that our biggest game of the year is this Sat. in Baton Rouge. However, I believe the debacle that was 10-9-10 (SC) will actually play a part in this game.

To begin with, and most importantly, if we had beaten SC we would be exactly in the same position we are right now in regards to our championship hopes and goals. If we had beaten SC we would still need to win out to go to the SEC Game. Losing to LSU and then beating Auburn would put us in a 3 way tie in which LSU would be, in all likelihood, ranked above us and thus LSU would go to ATL. Losing to Auburn would send Auburn to ATL. So, regardless of what we did at SC, we would still need to run the same table that is before us.

Furthermore, even in the NC picture we would be in the same boat. Even if we were currently undefeated we could only get to Glendale by winning out. And, I believe, we currently sit in position where IF we win out we go to Glendale.

So, in a very real sense that loss really did very little, if anything, to hurt our chances at winning the SEC and the NC.

However, as bad as any loss is, that loss may have actually prepared us for a chance of success at LSU. First of all, that loss got the pressure of the unbeaten streak off GMac. I think his performance against UT is more along the lines of what we will see from him this Sat. In a way, before the loss, Greg was playing not to lose. I think now that he has lost he can just play football. And, the same hopefully can be said for the whole team. If nothing else, it allowed us to stop believing the hype that we were some kind of dynasty. I think just the week before SC there were stories in the papers saying Bama had put a big gap between themselves and the rest of the SEC. If your players read stuff like that you can lose focus. (Which is what may happen to Auburn.)

Moreover, now that we have lost we have something to prove whereas before we were the #1 ranked team as well as the reigning #1. This was where UF was last year in the dome!! So, I believe, with this loss we can potentially be a much more dangerous football team. And, since we lost we know how bad that feels and we ought to be motivated to never let that happen again.

I could go on with the reasons that the loss could actually help us. However, I think the greatest benefit is that it may help our team to actually play them one at a time. Admittedly we were tired at SC. But to me, even in pre game, it looked like a team just going through the motions. The Ole Miss game still had a bit of that same look, although I think our defense started to pick it up with Ole Miss. Now, hopefully, the whole team is a bit jacked up. UT is not terrible, as we saw last Sat. And our win, the biggest for us in decades in that series, may be a small sign that the lessons off SC are starting to take effect. If we take LSU out this Sat. the loss to SC gets a little easier to swallow.

Of course no loss is good. But good can come from some losses. I need only refer you Jan. 2, 2009.

Tell me what you think.