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Let me clarify something: I’m not an LSU fan. I picked UK to beat the spread, and I am very happy for them with their win. With our previous conversation, I was trying to point out something to you about which you’re oblivious. And if you can’t see the difference between losing a tough conference game on the road to a ranked team to losing what should have been a gasser to the worst team in the conference, then continuing this conversation is pointless.

I should have realized that far earlier, though.

I am well aware of the difference, friend. My point was there can be more to football life than conference play. Indeed, SC's abundant longterm success could be attributable, in part, to its willingness to play these tough nonconference games. Perhaps if LSU played a similarly tough nonconference schedule instead of staying home against nonconference patsies, then it would be properly toughened and able to win tough conference games on the road against the likes of KU. Perhaps then it would have won more than one national title since 1959. Perhaps it is LSU which is oblivious.

Interestingly, it is not even necessary to succeed in these nonconference tests. SC and Notre Dame have played annually for eighty years, and overall SC has a losing record in this series. But the need to compete surely spurs SC's efforts, to the point that we've won eleven national championships during that period. That is probably not merely a coincidence. Striving against the best brings out one's own best. Iron sharpens iron.