LSU football coach Les Miles is a man of many great phrases.When asked shortly after LSU’s overtime victory against Arkansas who he would like to play in a bowl game and where he would like to play, Miles wasn’t hesitant with his specific answer.”We’re looking forward to the opportunity for the 10th victory at a bowl game of our team’s liking,” he said. “Any opponent. Any great, warm environment. Any area within the sound of my voice this football team will look forward to playing the best opponent we can get.”But now that the question is more of whom the Tigers will play rather than where the Tigers will play, students are fairly split but more loquacious than Miles.Many bowl projections put LSU against either Iowa or Penn State in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on New Year’s Day.The bowl normally puts the Big Ten’s second best team against the Southeastern Conference’s second-best team. Because the SEC will likely put two teams in BCS games, LSU is left as the recipient of the bid for the Capital One Bowl.If Iowa receives a BCS at-large selection, LSU would likely see the Nittany Lions and coach Joe Paterno for the first time since a 16-9 loss in the 1974 Orange Bowl.”I would rather see Penn State because it’s two big-name programs facing off with one another,” said Paul Fontenot, mass communication sophomore.But if the BCS gives Iowa’s potential bid to another school, LSU would likely face the Hawkeyes for the first time since a 2005 loss to them in the Capital One Bowl, which proved to be Nick Saban’s last game at the helm of the program.Some fans are simply apathetic.”As long as they win, I don’t care,” said Filmon Belay, engineering freshman.Katelyn Leonard, kinesiology sophomore, said she doesn’t think it will be Miles’ last game, but she added she doesn’t have a preference who LSU plays.”We’re going to step up our game to whoever we play,” Leonard said. “It will be a challenge either way.”–Contact Andy Schwehm at [email protected]
Football: Fans divided between Iowa, Penn State in LSU bowl projections
December 3, 2009