Make no mistake about it – an Ole Miss-LSU football game is special even when it’s not.

This year’s game in Oxford can’t be described as literally classic or special, but, again, it is LSU-Ole Miss, and that’s all that thousands in this two-state area need to know. It doesn’t matter if the game’s played in Death Valley in Baton Rouge, or tiny Oxford, it’s big to both teams and schools.

LSU has been threatening to move forward with a few close victories, and last Saturday they did impress by edging Alabama. So did Coach David Cutcliffe’s Rebels, who appear strong enough to take almost anyone on a given Saturday. It wasn’t easy for Ole Miss against the Razorbacks, but Arkansas had to go.

Mississippi State meantime cast aside shoddy tackling long enough to take Kentucky 35-17 on the weekend and latch onto Monday morning’s No. 15 ranking in the Associated Press. And Southern Mississippi managed to stay in the Top 25 at No. 25 despite an ugly 49-28 loss to Louisville. USM has some work to do. Others too.

On to predicting: I look for Ole Miss to nudge LSU this Saturday up in Oxford, albeit a tossup in my estimation. This will be a good TV game. Both teams show signs of growing up. We’ll see.

I like Mississippi State to outscore Alabama in Starkville in yet another good game. And USM-UAB? The latter has slipped up on a foe or two this year, including LSU, but I look for coach Jeff Bower’s Southerners to take this one.

Area prep football teams don’t win every game, but as a general rule Miss-Lou teams entertain well, win, lose or draw. That pretty well describes all of your area teams.

Former coach &uot;Mo&uot; Lyles’ better-than-3-8 Bulldogs ran all over Forest Hill 56-24 to cap their regular season, so there was happiness on the NHS campus. Senior quarterback Donald Butler had to be happy with his team’s effort, and thankful for a big leadership night.

Ferriday meantime slugged big rival Vidalia 43-0, but the Louisiana 2A Trojans were expected to take the young Vikings, who were 4-6 on the year to the Trojans’ 9-1. Playoff time now for the title-sniffing No. 4 Trojans of FHS.

The rugged Centreville Tigers of veteran coach Bill Hurst started MPSA Class 3A playoff action last Friday night by walloping Copiah Academy 38-7, and now face the Manchester team that sped past ACCS 37-0 the same night. Bill Hurst is playoff-wise, so watch is CA Tigers.

And credit coach Ken Beesley’s Cathedral Green Wavers with taking it to Bogue Chitto in their season finale. The 2-7 Greenies embarrassed the Bobcats 35-12, but the latter are nevertheless headed to the playoffs. Which is good – the Bobcats deserved to move into the playoffs with their 5-6 season.

HURRIED HASH: Branson was ’bout like usual – great! Good clean fun abounds for my wife Lorene and me up there, starting with eating in Rogersville at a &uot;local&uot; place called the Hungry Fisherman, owned by Gary &uot;Peanut&uot; Boyd and his charming wife Debbie, both formerly of Natchez.

In Branson we saw the Lawrence Welk Show (like old times), Shoji Tabuchi (the &uot;Japanese fiddler&uot;) and Andy Williams, who belted ’em out like days of old – and even had a segment with Glen Campbell. Outstanding!

Jonesville’s Chris Shivers has done the Miss-Lou proud with his world championship Professional Bullriding antics. Yes, Chris is indeed the world champ in PBR, and he has a beautiful belt buckle and a bunch of money to show for it.