| When LSU opens its 100th anniversary season in Tiger Stadium next Saturday against Nicholls State, Tiger fans will see the same pregame routine they've known for decades. LSU, without much fanfare, said Wednesday that it is not changing its pregame routine despite a request from Gov. Jeff Landry that teams should be on the field or court for the national anthem. The controversial directive stems from a big blow up that occurred during the LSU women's basketball team's run to the Elite Eight in this year's NCAA Tournament. The LSU women, like the football team, are never out for the anthem as part of their pregame routine. Instead, they are in the locker room having a team prayer. LSU has not pushed back hard at Landry on this, but the school has basically said, "We're going to do it the way we always do it." It will be interesting if there will be any reaction (retaliation?) from the governor's office or whether the Landry administration will let the whole issue just fade away. There will be something different about LSU football games this fall: no Doug Moreau on the radio. The former LSU All-American, who has called been LSU's radio color analyst for 46 seasons total dating back to 1972, is sitting this season out as he recovers from surgery. Who will replace him? Well, you have to read to find out, don't you? Yours truly is back with an LSU football column detailing the striking similarities between LSU and USC heading into Sunday's season opener in Las Vegas (6:30 p.m. CDT, ABC). We've also got odds on LSU's SEC title and CFP chances, and Brian Kelly's refreshing answer when asked about Oklahoma State's decision to put QR codes linking to its NIL site on its football helmets. LSU baseball is also close to getting back on the field, revealing its preseason fall scrimmage schedule Wednesday, including one against Samford in Biloxi, Mississippi. Also Wednesday, coach Jay Johnson spoke about how outfielder Jake Brown is on pace to pitch more in 2025 than he did in 2024. Well, that's all for now, folks. Got to start packing for Vegas. Hope to see you there. Scott Rabalais | 
