Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl officials are still searching for answers why other bowls did not invite LSU, but that did not stall officials from grabbing the Tigers as soon as they lost to Georgia on Saturday.
Members of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl met with LSU Athletics director Skip Bertman and coach Les Miles on Monday afternoon to extend their invitation for LSU to participate in this year’s top rated non-Bowl Championship Series bowl.
“Through the whole process, we did not think we would have the opportunity to have LSU,” said Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl President Gary Stokan. “We think a lot of bowls made a mistake in not selecting LSU not only for their fan fervor, but also for what Les [Miles] and his coaching staff and Skip and his administration have done with this program through some very, very trying times and difficult times.”
Bowl officials also met with Miami on Monday morning to extend their invitation to compete against LSU on Dec. 30 in the Georgia Dome.
“We just came from the University of Miami and had a press conference this morning and the two players that were there – Eric Winston and Kelly Jennings – could not get over talking about the opportunity to come to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta to play LSU,” Stokan said. “I’m sure the same thing will take place with the LSU players as well.”
No. 9 Miami versus No. 10 LSU is one of only three bowls that will host two Top-10 teams. No. 1 USC and No. 2 Texas will vie for the national championship in the Rose Bowl and the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will host No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 4 Ohio State. The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl is the only non-BCS bowl in the seven year history of the BCS to host two Top-10 teams.
“It will definitely be our greatest matchup and hopefully our best game,” Stokan said. “Both teams are fast, quick and as defensive and athletic as they are, will provide a sold out atmosphere for the fans and football teams.”
The bowl game takes place Dec. 30, which gives the Tigers more than two weeks to recover from the Southeastern Conference Championship loss to Georgia.
“The one thing we need to do is play again,” Miles said. “It’s a thirst to our football team to play a quality opponent. I think you’ll find us ready to prepare to play.”
While the Tigers are recovering on the practice field, quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who suffered a separated right shoulder late in the third quarter of the SEC Championship, can only watch.
“We know it’s not an operable injury,” Miles said. “We understand that some rest and rehabilitation is all that is needed.”
Miles added that it is too soon to tell, but Russell will not be counted out to make an appearance in the bowl.
“We hope he will be a late entry maybe just before the game is ready to be played,” Miles said.