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Boy, talk about two teams with something to prove.
For LSU, three years removed from winning a national championship, a prime-time showcase against North Carolina provides a chance to start reclaiming its status as a big hitter in a college football world now dominated by two of its chief rivals.
That's nothing compared to what's on the line for the Tar Heels, who have been rocked by a series of embarrassing revelations and may have trouble just fielding a complete team for Saturday night's opener at the Georgia Dome.
''All the kids who are in this program came here because they wanted to play in big games,'' North Carolina coach Butch Davis said. ''They're certainly going to get their opportunity.''
Just not the ones the No. 18 Tar Heels were counting on against No. 21 LSU.
Davis' team is in disarray, assured of being without at least a dozen players - many of them key starters and future NFLers - because of an ongoing NCAA investigation into, well, a little bit of everything.
Who's been getting a little too cozy with agents? Who's been getting a little too much help from tutors? Every day seemed to bring another dose of bad news for the Tar Heels.
On Friday, the hammer fell. The school announced that six players were ineligible for the opener for violating school rules, NCAA rules or both. Six others won't play, either, because of their possible ties to the NCAA probe.
These weren't just any players, either.
A once-fearsome defense likely will be without five pro prospects: tackle Marvin Austin, end Robert Quinn, safety Deunta Williams, and cornerbacks Kedric Burney and Charles Brown. Two other first-teamers, safety Da'Norris Searcy and end Michael McAdoo, won't play either.
Williams and linebackers Quan Sturdivant and Bruce Carter didn't travel with the team as the school conferred with the NCAA on their status. Sturdivant and Carter were later cleared and were traveling to Atlanta on Friday night. However, Williams remains sidelined because the NCAA wanted more information before ruling on his status.
The offense fared a little better in the fallout, but not by much. North Carolina won't have its top receiver, Greg Little, nor its two leading runners, Shaun Draughn and Ryan Houston.
So much for all those high hopes at North Carolina, which appeared to have the talent to make a serious run at its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship since 1980.
A defiant Davis vowed to press on with whoever was left.
''These kids, I like the way that they've practiced,'' he said. ''I know that it has put them to a challenge, for guys to assume roles that maybe they haven't played before. But the kids are pretty resilient, and they're excited about playing. Some of the guys who are going to play maybe bigger roles than they thought they were going to play, they're equally as excited.''
LSU has its own concerns.
The Tigers finished No. 1 during the 2007 season, but coach Les Miles is feeling some heat after his team lost eight Southeastern Conference games over the last two years. Fellow SEC schools Florida and Alabama took over the lead roles, divvying up the last two national titles.
The defending champion Crimson Tide starts this season ranked No. 1, while the Gators - even without Tim Tebow - are fourth in The Associated Press poll.
That's the sort of company LSU wants to be keeping.
''We had an emotional meeting last week,'' linebacker Kelvin Sheppard said. ''We all realize that everybody is looking down on us.''
Excuse the Tigers is they haven't spent much time fretting over North Carolina's problems.
''We're taking care of our business and our football team,'' Miles said. ''I don't care which 11 show up. I'm not taking attendance. I expect them to have 11 good guys.''
Miles is counting on his team to start quickly and really be hitting its stride by the time it faces the meat of its schedule: Florida, Alabama and up-and-comer Arkansas.
''I like where we're at. I like how this team looks. It's a fast-paced, get-after-you team,'' Miles said. ''This team has a real ambition and a real want. There is a youthful enthusiasm.''
Much of the focus is on quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who was sacked 34 times last year and often struggled to read coverages and make decisive calls. He's worked hard in the offseason to overcome those deficiencies, and Miles is expecting significant improvement.
The junior knows he must bring some stability to his crucial position, a mess at LSU ever since JaMarcus Russell led the Tigers to their championship.
''I'll probably be a little nervous at the beginning of the game, but once I find that rhythm, everything's gone,'' Jefferson said. ''I wouldn't judge after one performance, because I have a whole season to look forward to, and it can only get better throughout the whole season.''
North Carolina can only hope its season gets better.
It sure can't get much worse.
''It's obviously horrible timing,'' quarterback T.J. Yates said. ''But once we get on the plane going to Atlanta, we'll know who's going to be playing and who's not. Hopefully we'll be focused by then.''
