FAYETTEVILLE -- Off their lopsided loss to LSU on their Senior Night Saturday in Fayetteville, the Arkansas Razorbacks learned something about visiting Mississippi State on the Bulldogs' Senior Night this 6 p.m. ESPN Saturday in Starkville.
Don't count on opposition rolled by the Tide to be too hung over to rebound its next game.
The 10-0 nationally No. 1 reigning national champion/SEC champion and already 2016 SEC West champion Alabama Crimson Tide rolled Mississippi State, 51-3 Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
That's hangover potential looming way beyond what aspirin and tomato juice can remedy.
Yet in their own way because they spent so much battling through three slobber-knocking 0-0 quarters, the LSU Tigers were expected to arrive in Fayetteville even more emotionally hung over from their 10-0 fourth-quarter loss to the Tide the previous Saturday night in Baton Rouge.
LSU seemed hung over drained in 2014 and 2015 coming off Alabama losses into 17-0 and 31-14 losses to Arkansas in Fayetteville and Baton Rouge.
Not this time. Under energetic Ed Orgeron, the LSU interim coach whose Cajun accented enthusiasm was contagious back when he was an Arkansas graduate assistant in the 1986 and 1987, the Tigers arrived motivated to play up to their talent.
That talent is NFL vast. And it showed as the Tigers trampled Arkansas, 38-10 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Sports pundits anticipate LSU seeking a big name head coach permanently to replace Les Miles, LSU's longtime coach fired five games into this season after disenchanted alums nearly ousted him last season. They might do better giving Cajun Ed a second look. Inspiring effort seems well beyond half the coaching battle. The Tigers have played their guts out for Orgeron, the former Ole Miss head coach and Southern California interim head coach in his second year at LSU initially as defensive line coach.
"All of it so he can win the job," LSU sophomore running back Derrius Guice said of responding to Orgeron's inspiration.
Guice responded with a career night, 252 yards and 2 touchdowns, 1 for 96 yards, on 21 carries.
Additionally, Guice asserted the Tigers were determined to prove to Arkansas they wouldn't roll over just because the Tide had rolled by them.
Coach Dan Mullen's Mississippi State Bulldogs, only two Saturdays ago in Starkville upsetting the Texas A&M Aggies then ranked No. 4 in the nation by the College Football Playoff committee, ought to be inspired in their farewell home game to prove they, too, can rebound from low ebb against the Crimson Tide.
As for Coach Bret Bielema's Razorbacks, they proved their resiliency rebounding from a 56-3 annihilation at Auburn to flog Florida, then ranked No. 11 by the CFP committee, 31-10 two Saturdays ago in Fayetteville. And they ought to have something to prove against Mississippi State beating Arkansas four consecutive years, the last three under Bielema.
Deflated though the Hogs and Dogs were last Saturday, expect both primed to be pumped this Saturday night in Starkville.
Sports on 11/14/2016