LSU to play for BCS title (not the best team on either side of the line)

WBRZ TV, Baton Rouge ^ | Dec 3, 2007 | Carl Dubois

[Bulldawg Fan]

Les Miles didn’t need to go to Michigan for a chance to coach a team to victory against Ohio State, Michigan’s archrival. The LSU Tigers, to whom Miles reaffirmed his commitment over the weekend, will play Ohio State for the BCS national championship.

LSU (11-2) climbed five spots Sunday to No. 2 in the USA Today Top 25 Coaches’ Poll, enabling the Tigers to make the same jump in the BCS standings to set up a Jan. 7 date with the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes (11-1) in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.

“This is the most astonishing 36 or 48 or 72 hours I think I’ve ever seen in athletics,” said LSU Athletic Director Skip Bertman, who has 45 years in coaching and administration.

“Of course, it turned out to be magnificent for LSU. Not only did we get the coach, but we get the chance at the national championship in the same weekend, and of course, going in, we didn’t know either one of those things.”

Miles, a former Michigan player and assistant coach, walked away from a possible offer to coach at his alma mater when he announced Saturday he would stay at LSU.

A few hours later the Tigers defeated Tennessee 21-14 in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game, keeping slim hopes alive for a shot at a bigger prize.

When No. 2-ranked West Virginia lost 13-9 to huge underdog Pittsburgh and No. 1-ranked Missouri lost 38-17 to Oklahoma later that night, LSU’s long-shot possibility — described a week earlier by BCS experts — was no longer a desperate daydream.

LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette stayed up until 3 a.m. Sunday, e-mailing the 60 coaches who vote in the USA Today poll and as many Harris Interactive voters as possible. He set forth the case for LSU to be in the championship game. Miles made appearances on national TV after sunrise, doing the same.

By early Sunday afternoon, LSU was No. 2 in the USA Today poll. The Tigers, who did not receive a first-place vote in last week’s Top 25, received 11 this week.

LSU’s move ahead of Missouri and West Virginia, plus Georgia, Kansas and Virginia Tech, was a promising sign that the Tigers would be in the top two when the BCS standings were announced Sunday night.

“It was done at that point,” said Brad Edwards of ESPN, a BCS analyst who spelled out LSU’s long-shot hopes the previous weekend.

A jump from No. 5 to No. 2 in the Harris poll followed the larger jump by the Tigers in the USA Today poll Sunday. Those polls and an average of six BCS computer rankings are equal parts of the BCS formula.

“The only surprise to me was that LSU was such a comfortable No. 2 in both polls,” Edwards said. “I obviously expected them to be in that position, but I thought there would be a lot more support for all the different contenders out there.”

LSU finished No. 2 in the computers, trailing Virginia Tech. The Buckeyes moved from No. 3 in the BCS to No. 1 largely on the strength of a majority of first-place votes in the polls.

“I knew that LSU had the computer advantage on Oklahoma and USC,” Edwards said, citing schedule strength and quality victories as key components. “In my mind it was only a matter of whether a team like Virginia Tech might be able to be ranked ahead of LSU.” Edwards said when he saw LSU’s margin in the USA Today poll — and that Oklahoma, not Virginia Tech, was No. 3 in that poll — he knew the Tigers were a lock for No. 2 in the BCS standings.

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel voted his team No. 1 and LSU No. 2.

Miles voted LSU No. 1 and Ohio State No. 2.

[cajunangel]

You sound like him.

[cajunangel]

You can’t argue that Georgia was screwed. If you can’t win your conference’s division title, much less the conference, you have no business playing for the national title. Georgia shouldn’t even be in a BCS bowl, much less the title game. The only teams with any business playing for the championship are Ohio State, Oklahoma and, yes, LSU. You can talk about Ohio State’s non-conference schedule all you want, but since none of the four have non-conference losses it loses some relevance. Good wins against Michigan and Wisconsin, with a respectable loss to a tough Illinois team. Good wins and a respectable loss, but not dazzling enough to be a clear #1. LSU, Oklahoma and USC have two losses. USC’s two losses were inexcusable. LSU and Oklahoma both play in tougher conferences, but LSU’s two losses were triple-overtime squeakers, one on the road at Kentucky and one in a rivalry game against a Heisman-quality star. Oklahoma’s Texas Tech loss isn’t bad, but the Colorado loss is. I’d go with LSU and Oklahoma instead of Ohio State, but OSU isn’t a bad choice. There’s parity in college football now, so the #1 and #2 aren’t clear-cut anymore.

Ga. had a damn good run.

They are a good team but ditto what you said.

Never has so many teams got knocked down- in odd upsets that were 1 or 2 in their rankings.

[Bulldawg Fan]

USC, UGA or OU would destroy LSU now. No team deserves three chances to be number one. And we look forward to our visit to BR next October.

[cajunangel]

What part of English don't you understand? You look like a bantering fool,even other Georgia fans that posted on this thread aren't as blind-sighted angry, as you.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda. You are way past whining now,you are just angry and in denial.

You did not win your conference’s division title.

You did not win your conference’s division title.

You did not win your conference’s division title.

Say the above,outloud, three time. Good luck to you next Oct. you have a good team.I predict you will lose.

[Bulldawg Fan]

Why should I rely on your prediction now when nothing you have said so far makes sense?

[cajunangel]

What part of the following sentence makes no sense?

You did not win your conference’s division title.