Although Les Miles is trying to get his players to look forward to Saturday’s game at Arkansas, and not dwell on the 20-13 overtime loss to Alabama, he was asked during his weekly luncheon with reporters to size up the Mississippi State game at Alabama that could determine the SEC West champion.

Not surprisingly he took the diplomatic route when talking about two teams LSU has lost to this season:

“Should I go strong one way or another, certainly they would never remember that the next time we lined up to play’em, do you remember what he said, ‘That dirty, rotten dog’ so I do realize this is one of those questions that there is a good possible wrong answer in there somewhere.

“Here is what I would say: I think that the alignment of Alabama’s defense will give Mississippi State an issue. I think if they can run the football against Alabama’s defense, then that they will then find path enough to move the football. With what would be Alabama’s offense against Mississippi State’s defense, I think that that will really be a very competitive — I’m not certain there is an advantage one side or the other. I think special teams may go a little bit to Alabama, so I’m pickin’ a dead even race and only the bounce of the ball will make the difference. That’s what I’m seein’. That would not be a wrong answer, guys.”

Miles was also asked about a Saban chant from the student section during the game.

“I was not aware of that, to be honest with you,” he said. “There are some things I get kind of zoned in on and I can tell you another thing I wasn’t aware of, somebody made the announcement to make sure you stay in your seats as the game ends. I would think we would not have to make that announcement. I got to be honest with you, I am so doing things that I didn’t get that but I was told it was a repeated announcement. I would think that — we need to make sure we can make the announcement at the appropriate time, starting it in the third quarter might be premature, starting it late in the fourth quarter might be a little premature, but I did not hear any derogatory statements about Coach Saben made. Explain”

The reporter told him it was a very loud chant that included a curse word.

“I can tell you that certainly there is a responsibility and a deportment that we would follow with every opponent that arrives here and that we would be responsible to sportsmanship and respecting that opponent,” he said.