TEMPE, ARIZ. - Out here, in the land of grassless lawns and scalding steering wheels, mirages can easily deceive a visitor’s perception of reality.

Need proof?

Check out the Internet message boards following LSU's 35-31 come-from-behind victory against Arizona State on Saturday night at Sun Devil Stadium.

Notice the progression.

Shortly after Sam Keller’s failed fourth-down pass to Terry Richardson with just over a minute remaining deep in LSU territory, Web-lurkers let out a collective cyber sigh of relief. Then, when pulses resumed pumping at a normal rate, the digital venting ensued.

The mirage they’ve concocted throughout all the preseason fluff hardly resembled the view inside Sun Devil Stadium or living rooms back in Louisiana.

Bo Pelini’s defense was exposed! Too many stupid mistakes! What’s the deal with Les Miles’ Britney Spears’ headset?

Let’s break this down rant by rant.

OK, so Pelini’s debut as the Tigers' defensive coordinator wasn’t exactly dazzling - though it wasn’t a total dud like his Oklahoma finale in last season’s FedEx Orange Bowl when Southern California’s Matt Leinart and Co. put 55 on the Sooners’ defense.

Yes, Keller completed 35 of 56 passes for 461 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. And yes, All-American wide receiver Derek Hagen couldn’t be covered. And yes, for as much as LSU fans rave about their speed at linebacker, Sun Devils tight ends Jamaal Lewis and Zach Miller were able to get vertical more than once.

Oh, and despite the Sun Devils’ aerial ways, they still were able to average four yards per carry -- hardly one-dimensional.

Now, here is the good news.

Scan the remainder of LSU’s schedule and try to find an opponent with a more prolific offense than Arizona State. Tennessee? Um, Rick Clausen could be the Vols’ starting quarterback or it could be sophomore Erik Ainge. Auburn? Not unless Jason Campbell, Ronnie Brown and “Cadillac” Williams have some hidden eligibility left. Florida? Maybe, but let’s see what Urban Meyer’s system does beyond recent displays against non-conference fillers.

Also, keep in mind that these players are learning a new system from the pin-your-ears-back demeanor under former coach Nick Saban’s reign and that when needed, they were able to come up with a big turnover (see Ali Highsmith’s third-quarter forced fumble inside LSU’s 10-yard line with Arizona State set to take a 24-7 lead). There’s no reason not to think this unit should improve.

Next, the mistakes.

LSU would have benefited tremendously if it had been able to host New Orleans Bowl staple North Texas last week. There were a bundle of dropped passes, a nice set of them compiled by scapegoat-turned-savior Early Doucet. Xavier Carter dropped a sure touchdown pass - probably the best ball JaMarcus Russell threw all night - in the second quarter. LSU was without Dwayne Bowe, not to mention Craig Davis was injured early on, but that’s no excuse for the contagious slippery fingers.

LSU also racked up 100 yards in penalties.

Hey, it was the Tigers’ first game. Get worried if these same problems linger into October and November. Until then, it’s a tad quick to electronically denounce this team’s focus and discipline.

Next, of course, Miles’ futuristic head set.

Talk about nitpicking. Give the guy a break. Sure, it looked a little goofy, especially when he cupped his hand around the microphone. But in the grand scheme of things, who really cares?

Look, Miles is not Saban. It’s just not him. That’s not to say one approach is wrong and the other is correct. They are just different.

Considering everything placed on Miles’ shoulders this past offseason, it’s amazing the guy has maintained his posture. Fans dumped national-championship expectations on him as he was consistently reminded of Saban’s greatness, and then was given the daunting burden to win his home opener on the road against a ranked foe so that a hurricane-ravaged region could enjoy a temporary diversion. So far, the new guy has done everything asked.

No it wasn’t a perfect, dominating performance, but it did keep the distant vision of competing for that crystal football within sight.