They say the best revenge is found in massive success.
I believe it was Frank Sinatra who came up with that one.
I don't know if Gus Malzahn is a fan of Sinatra or not, but the two certainly can relate on one thing: their achievements have been their own personal form of revenge.
The lone regular season slip-up in Auburn's dream 2013 season, a 35-21 steamrolling at the hands of Jeremy Hill and LSU in rainy Baton Rouge in the fourth game of the season, quickly put a damper on what was an otherwise excellent start to the Malzahn era.
Nick Marshall struggled in his first SEC road game as a starting quarterback, tossing two picks and fumbling another handoff.
That was more than enough mistakes for the Bayou Bengals, who were content to keep feeding their 235-pound future NFL running back all night long.
The result of this game was rarely in doubt; LSU led by three touchdowns just 17 minutes into the game, a deficit the developing Auburn offense was unable to match.
It seemed an appropriate result at the time as well as Auburn was still considered to be rebuilding, while LSU was expected to ride Hill and quarterback Zach Mettenberger into SEC Championship contention.
But my, what a change one year can make to a team.
Auburn now sits at the top of the SEC and the reigning champions return many of the pieces that managed to match LSU in the second half of last year's game.
Meanwhile, LSU is currently experiencing a difficult transition of its own. Anthony Jennings, the most experienced quarterback on the roster, has lost the starter's job to talented freshman Brandon Harris.
Harris, who almost committed to Auburn out of high school, will make his first career start under the lights of Jordan-Hare, an idea that may prompt a little extra grass-eating from Les Miles this week.
LSU is one of the most tightly contested annual matchups on Auburn's schedule, and this year will likely be no different.
But there is one major difference in the 2014 season: Auburn is the favorite in this year's edition, and rightfully so.
The explosive talent Auburn features and its ever improving defense are a stark contrast to the quarterback quandary the Bayou Bengals have found themselves in.
It will be important for Auburn to avoid the slow offensive starts we've seen in its last two outings. Doing so would provide LSU opportunities to gain a foothold in the game and quiet what is sure to be an imposing environment Saturday night.
A quick start from Auburn would also put more pressure on Harris to carry the offensive load, something I'm sure Miles would like to avoid at all costs.
I've been known to drop the kiss of death on teams in the past, but I can honestly say I've never been more confident of an Auburn victory against LSU than I am this year.
Just don't try anything too crazy over there, Mad Hatter.
Auburn 34, LSU 20.
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