Joey Johnston

BATON ROUGE, La. - In the aftermath of college football’s Seismic Saturday, capped by top-ranked LSU’s 28-24 escape-act against the Florida Gators, one thing is clear.

LSU is No. 1. No debate.

Even with all the big plays in a dramatic win against the Gators, defending national champions, the biggest roar from Tiger Stadium might have occurred when Stanford’s inexplicable upset of USC was announced. LSU running back Jacob Hester was asked how it felt to hear that score announced over the public-address system.

“I don’t know,’’ he said. “We were already No. 1.”

Good point.

But for those who think it’s a hastily arranged referendum on the Tigers eventually raising that crystal football at the BCS Championship Game — Florida perhaps banished to a so-so bowl, USC suddenly on the ropes — better think again.

There’s a long way to go. And LSU has some flaws.

“It doesn’t matter who’s ranked No. 1 at this time of the year,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “You just have to get through it, week by week. People are going to say, ‘You didn’t stuff them [Florida’s offense].’

“Well, you know what? We are playing a great football team.”

In the SEC, LSU’s challenges have just begun.

• Next Saturday, LSU travels to Kentucky for the first time since 2002 (the Bluegrass Miracle). The Wildcats are once-beaten, but facing senior quarterback Andre’ Woodson is no bargain.
• Suddenly revitalized Auburn comes to LSU on Oct. 20. Auburn-LSU has been the SEC West’s biggest game — and this season may be no different.
• LSU travels to Alabama (and former LSU coach Nick Saban) on Nov. 3. The game has been circled on every Baton Rouge calendar for months. Outside Tiger Stadium on Saturday, there were multiple sightings of purple-and-gold “Nick Satan’’ T-shirts.
• If LSU wins the West, there’s the Dec. 1 SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. And that opponent could be Florida. Yes, the Gators, even with two consecutive losses, still practically control their destiny in the SEC East (the only downer being Tennessee winning out, an unlikely possibility).

Otherwise, Florida-LSU might be headed for a rematch.

“The Florida Gators will be back smokin’ — I just don’t know when,” Gators coach Urban Meyer said. “I thought the energy level of our football team coming into this environment shows you a little bit about the Florida Gators.”

And the fourth-quarter comeback showed you a little bit about LSU.

Florida led 24-14. Colt David had just misfired on a 37-yard field-goal attempt.

The crowd, which had been operating at jet-engine decibels, was knocked back in stunned silence.

Then came the turnaround.

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Florida sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow, brilliant in the first half, tried a pass on second-and-6 from the Gator 24-yard line. It caromed off a defender and floated into the waiting arms of LSU’s Kirston Pittman. Five plays later, LSU quarterback Matt Flynn hit Demetrius Byrd with a 4-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-3.

It was 24-21.

The Gators went three-and-out.

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LSU was on the move again.

Then came another flashpoint moment.

Fourth-and-1 at Florida’s 7-yard line, nearing two minutes remaining. The tying field goal was pretty much a formality.

Miles gambled.

“They [LSU players] all wanted me to bow my neck,” Miles said. “They were out there bowing their necks. We needed seven [points].’’

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Hester got the ball and was dragged down from behind by Florida’s Ryan Stamper, who closed quickly. For a moment, it appeared Hester was short and the gamble had backfired.

But the measurement said otherwise.

First down — by the nose of a football.

Hester scored the game-winner — LSU’s only lead of the night — on a 2-yard run on third-and-goal with 1:09 remaining.

For LSU fans, it was sheer ecstasy, seeing their team defeat the defending national champions, avoiding a letdown while playing at home as a No. 1-ranked team for the first time since 1959.

But that ecstasy must be tempered with some perspective.

LSU (6-0) is rolling now. The path has been cleared somewhat, although there are a handful of worthy contenders knocking on the door (California, Ohio State, South Florida, Boston College and resurgent Oklahoma, just to name a few).

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If the Tigers keep winning, though, they should punch their ticket to New Orleans.

To do that, the defense must play to its standard, something that didn’t happen in the first half against Florida. The Gators continually gashed LSU, which was allowing just 39 yards rushing per game. By halftime, Florida had more than doubled that total.