Or here...did you hear LSU has to go to the Sugar Bowl, in filthy NO? That isn't right, LSU is #4 or 5, and deserved a better bowl than that..
Sugar Bowl coming home with local favorite
By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP National Writer
December 3, 2006
The Sugar Bowl is coming home with a local favorite.
No. 4 LSU, which had yearned for a chance to head west for its first Rose Bowl, will instead stay in its own state, making the short trip to New Orleans to face No. 11 Notre Dame in the Jan. 3 Sugar Bowl.
For a city still struggling to recover from Hurricane Katrina, the LSU-Notre Dame matchup was viewed as a godsend. Last year, the Sugar Bowl had to be shifted to Atlanta because of massive damage to the Superdome.
"If we could have written this script, we couldn't have written it any better," Sugar Bowl CEO Paul Hoolahan said Sunday night. "These two teams in New Orleans is just what the doctor ordered. This is an absolute panacea for what's happened here, where we need to go and what has to happen in the future."
The Tigers (10-2) shot into Bowl Championship Series consideration by closing the regular season with a six-game winning streak, capped by a 31-26 triumph at Arkansas. The Razorbacks had already clinched a spot in the Southeastern Conference title game, but LSU felt it might have been the best team in what views itself as the country's toughest league by the end of the year.
Notre Dame (10-2) will be playing in its first Sugar Bowl since 1992, when a Lou Holtz-coached team knocked off Florida 39-29.
LSU lobbied hard for a trip to the Rose Bowl, soliciting orders for more than 42,000 tickets. It appeared the oldest and most glamorous of the postseason games would pick the Tigers to face Michigan -- until Southern Cal's loss to UCLA messed up those plans.
Coach Les Miles insisted it wasn't a letdown to learn that the Tigers' next game would be right down the road instead of on the West Coast, saying it provides another chance to help New Orleans recover from the devastating storm.
"I think everybody close to the program is certainly glad to see us playing in New Orleans," Miles said. "We really enjoy that city. It's a wonderful place and we can hardly wait to get there."
The Fighting Irish thought they were headed for a rematch of their '92 Sugar Bowl with the Gators.
That was before UCLA stunned USC 13-9 on Saturday. Then, Florida defeated Arkansas 38-28 in the SEC championship game, which was enough to earn the Gators a shot at No. 1 Ohio State in the BCS championship game at Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 8.
No matter the opponent, Notre Dame has one pressing issue: ending an eight-game bowl losing streak. The Irish will try to avoid breaking the NCAA record they share with South Carolina (1945-1988) and West Virginia (1987-98).
Notre Dame's last postseason victory was 24-21 over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 1994.
Coach Charlie Weis said he's most concerned with LSU's speed. The Irish didn't fare well against the other Top-10 teams on their schedule, losing 47-21 to Michigan in South Bend and 44-24 at USC in their regular-season finale.
Weis plans to spend the next few weeks letting his starters practice against each other, hoping that will help them get a better idea of what LSU can do than facing scout team players.
"The speed of the game is the number one thing we've got to be to be ready for," he said. "If not, we're going to be in for a long night."
Last season's Sugar Bowl moved to Atlanta after Hurricane Katrina caused severe damage to the Superdome, which became one of the most heart-wrenching symbols of the immense suffering. West Virginia won the transplanted game, upsetting SEC champion Georgia 38-35 at the Georgia Dome.
After a $185 million renovation, the Superdome opened in time for the NFL's New Orleans Saints to return to the Big Easy this season. The Sugar Bowl also came home, and perhaps its only appropriate that LSU is one of its teams on what figures to be another emotional night in a city that is still struggling to pick up the pieces.
New Orleans would certainly have sold more hotel rooms if an out-of-state team, such as Florida, had been available to face Notre Dame. But Hoolahan believes that LSU fans will make their impact felt in other ways.
"Obviously, they don't use as many hotel rooms," he said. "What they do do is go out to restaurants, buy merchandise, come in early and stay out late. I don't see any drop-off. If anything, I expect to see a real upsurge."
The Tigers claimed the BCS championship three seasons ago at their home away from home, knocking off Oklahoma 21-14 in the 2004 Sugar Bowl.
LSU still would have gone to Pasadena if Michigan had moved up to second place in the BCS standings, earning a rematch with undefeated Ohio State in the title game. But Florida leapfrogged the Wolverines to claim the coveted trip to Arizona.
Now, the Tigers will be playing in their 12th Sugar Bowl. They are 5-7 overall but have won their last two appearances at the Superdome.
Both schools will receive 25,000 tickets, and Weis is counting on Notre Dame's national following to bring in a crowd that is a little closer to an even split than one might expect. Besides, the Irish are 9-1 in road games during Weis' two seasons as coach, the lone loss coming at USC two weeks ago.
"I know LSU home games are known for being a loud crowd," Notre Dame safety Tom Zbikowski said. "It's definitely going to be like another home game for them playing in their home state. But Notre Dame travels pretty well, so hopefully we'll come prepared.
"We've played in hostile environments before, so we should be ready."
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