BATON ROUGE - The LSU gymnastics team is trying to keep the focus on the performances and not the hype in front of their Friday night showdown with top-ranked Oklahoma looming.

LSU (6-2, 3-1 SEC) just moved back up to No. 2 in the national rankings after defeating No. 14 Alabama in Tuscaloosa last Friday making Friday's match-up against No. 1 Oklahoma must-see tv.

"It's rare you get an opportunity for a one versus two match up in any sport during a regular season like this," head LSU gym coach Jay Clark said previewing the meet.

But Clark was quick to point out that buying into the hype would prove to be problematic for his Tiger team as they are better suited to focus only on what they can control and their own mental approach and performances.

"It should be incredible for the fans, and we are competing for a regular season SEC championship as well," Clark said of facing the Sooners.

"We have to stay focused on what we do. There's no defense. There's not some way we're going to get up emotionally for this that's going to give us an advantage over anybody. It's just not how it works in our sport. And we have to, we have to stay 100% focused on us and what we do, and it has to remain that way. If it doesn't, then it's a trap, and we will, we will fail."

LSU will face Oklahoma on Friday night at 8 p.m. and the meet will be nationally televised on ESPN2.