Joey Johnston

Last season, quarterback Tim Tebow inherited a defending national-championship team at Florida. Before starting his first career game, his photo graced the covers of several national magazines.

This season, sophomore quarterback Jarrett Lee inherited a defending national-championship team at LSU. There have been no magazine covers (yet). He could walk around the campus of most SEC schools without being noticed or recognized.

You know what? It doesn’t matter. Lee obviously doesn’t possess the overall skills of Tebow, a revolutionary talent who became the first sophomore player ever to capture the Heisman Trophy. Lee doesn’t have nearly as famous of a back-story.

But Lee gives No. 11 LSU a great chance to win against No. 4 Florida on Saturday night at the Swamp.

When LSU has been at its best, it hasn’t had the nation’s best quarterback. Not even close, really. Most efficient quarterback, though? Maybe so.

In 2003, when Nick Saban’s LSU team took the BCS title, it was Matt Mauck behind center.

Last season, when Les Miles’ two-loss Tigers rolled to an improbable championship, it was Matt Flynn.

Before spring practice, it appeared LSU was handing the job to Ryan Perrilloux, who once was among the nation’s best recruits. Instead, Perrilloux, after a series of off-field indiscretions, was dismissed from the program (he’s now at Jacksonville State in Alabama).

It was the classic case of addition by subtraction. Perrilloux had dizzying talent, sure, but was he worth the trouble? LSU’s roster, stocked with difference-makers at the skill positions and a defensive line that (incredibly) might be better than last season’s Glenn Dorsey-led unit, will do just fine without him.

Until recently, it was supposed to be senior Andrew Hatch, the former walk-on from Harvard, as the answer at quarterback. But an inadvertent injury against Auburn — he suffered a concussion after colliding with a teammate — gave Lee his opportunity. Lee took advantage, leading LSU to a come-from-behind 26-21 win at Auburn.

Against Mississippi State, Lee passed for 261 yards and two touchdowns, looking very much like he’s not going to give up his job any time soon.

Now comes the challenge at Florida. Don’t worry about the night game, the ear-splitting atmosphere that could scare the pants off most teams. Not LSU. Historically, the Tigers have handled themselves well in Gainesville, winning in 2002 and 2004, while falling there 23-10 in 2006 (LSU’s five turnovers were a huge factor).

LSU is unafraid.

The same can be said for Lee, once a highly touted recruit who thought he might have to bide his time. Not any longer. It’s his ballgame. And if LSU’s recent tradition holds, Lee could be along for a longer ride than anyone imagined, particularly if the Tigers can come through against Florida.

Q: At what point do we need to take Tulsa seriously as a potential BCS buster?
— Chris from Ariz.
A: How about immediately? Well, I’ll take a tiny bit of credit, Chris. Tulsa was No. 21 in my preseason Top 25 rankings. So the 5-0 start by the Golden Hurricane is not that big of a surprise.

Yes, I like Tulsa’s chances to run the table. It probably won’t happen this way — heck, it never does — but this could be the all-time season for BCS-busters. What if Tulsa, the BYU-Utah winner, Boise State and (gulp!) Ball State all finish 12-0. What then, BCS-number crunchers? Let’s save that thought for another month.

Back to Tulsa, which is trying to win Conference USA after finishing second to Central Florida last season.

Special feature BCS Busters Taking a look at the non-BCS teams that have the biggest chances of getting to a BCS bowl. NBCSports.com

Tulsa senior David Johnson — maybe the most productive passer this side of Chase Daniel — is completing 69.9 percent of his throws. In five games, he has 23 touchdown passes. There was concern whether Johnson would be up for the task after the departure of Paul Smith, but that notion seems silly now.

Tulsa’s season is just part of what has been a fantastic football season for the state of Oklahoma. Or as one e-mailed put it: “Where the wins come sweeping down the plains — OU 5-0, OSU 5-0, Tulsa 5-0.’’

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