ATVS Roundtable: The Texas Bowl

Well, the Tigers are headed to Houston to take on Coach Dreamy and the Red Raiders. Do we like this?

Dan

Hell yeah, we like it. Contrasting styles, fresh opponent, good location for our recruiting.

Win the game, go 9-3, backs of the dogs for a bit until we get to signing day, which SHOULD re-energize the fanbase enough to have some excitement for 2016. Hell, we're already considered like second best favorites to win it all.

Oh wait, this happens every year doesn't it?

Jake

I think it's fine. Tons of LSU fans should go, which is great. It's an intriguing match-up, a good clash of styles. Solid time slot. And a good chance to end the season with a W. Not the best possible destination/opponent, but good nonetheless. 

dr.awesome504

Yeah, it checks all the boxes. Interesting opponent? Yep. Decent stadium? Yep. Nice city that's close for the traveling fans and a recruiting base? Yep. I understand the Texas fatigue, but this is pretty good for LSU all around.

Only bad part is the pyramid scheme of a sponsor.

cdub

Aren't you tired of working under Billy? Within a short amount of time working with AdvoCare, you can become your own boss Gerard, you can become your own boss!!!

Billy

I won't stand for that kind of talk. Beatings will continue until morale improves.

zrau

I'm all for this game and I'm currently scheming to see if I can go. The venue and matchup are exciting, and it's in primetime. The game in Houston against Wisconsin last season was fun and I think it'll be more fun and easier to imbibe when you can't fry an egg on the pavement of the parking lot outside NRG Stadium. I had a blast at the game against Wisconsin, but it'll be more fun when a mixture of bourbon and sweat isn't evaporating from my skin and into the southeast Texas atmosphere.

Approaching it from another angle, the bowl matchup kind of adds a lagniappe event to LSU's recent forays into Houston. When you consider baseball playing at Minute Maid in the spring, the 2014 kickoff game against Wisconsin, and basketball playing U of H this coming weekend, this gives the university even more exposure in what's become a fertile recruiting ground for athletes as well as future students. LSU is a 4-5 hour drive away from Houston's suburbs, and the bowl game gives the university additional exposure to high school students who might be thinking beyond Texas' borders for when they eventually go to college.

Billy

Agreed. Last year you had a game in the middle of the day, and sure, if you were off it was fun, but this game kind of times up perfect to get home from work (those of you that work at least), have dinner, get the kids to bed, poor yourself a drink or crack open a beer and watch some ball. And it's the last time we get to see Leonard Fournette run the football, in real time, for NINE MONTHS. You damn well better savor it.

It's a good matchup for LSU with Tech's defense, and as everybody keeps saying, the kind of contrast in styles that make for entertaining matchups. And I'm sure some will say they wish it was a bigger name, and yeah, a matchup with Michigan or Penn State is great, unless the Tigers lose. If it's not going to be a BIG game, give me the most winnable one. Sure, some will say "who cares about a C-level bowl game," but those people are usually the first to freak out over a loss, so those aren't opinions I put a lot of stock in.

Plus, LSU is heavily involved in recruiting in that area this year, and while the staff can't necessarily host recruits at a game like this, the Tigers will still dominate local news for a week and that's a good thing exposure-wise.

Dan

And yayayayaya I get to go. So I'm all in favor of this.

Billy

Well now we know who to blame.

Saltzman

Agree with everything being said, most importantly the time.

Kind of interested to see the fan turnout for this game. I know Lubbock and Houston are not close, but you're still talking about a Texas school in a Texas Bowl. Can't say I know a ton about how Tech fans travel.

For the game, LSU should matchup well against Tech, which could mean another potential Fournette monster game. Good way to end the season.

Biggest concern for this is Kilff's handsomeness throwing off the LSU gameplan.

Poseur

You mean LSU got sent to the least prestigious bowl possible, given its place in the standings? I, for one, am shocked.

But, if we're gonna get screwed by the SEC, as we usually do this time of year, might as well make the best of it. I mean, it's not like we don't expect to get taken out back this year, so it's tough to call this "disappointed." I'm more resigned to us getting the annual hose job on bowl selection, and I just enjoy reading what this year's justification is for it.

Houston's fine. It's great for recruiting, and I think the offense will enjoy playing against the Tech defense. Also, our defense tends to match up well with teams that don't run power, so this is a nice match up for the team. LSU will be the favorite, and we'll even be able to watch it as it isn't during business hours. But, no, it doesn't matter who wins. Know which SEC team has the best bowl record all-time? Ole Miss.

Dan

There's prestige to bowls beyond like the top 10 or some?

I dunno, I guess I'm in the minority but I can't really see how this is LSU getting jerked around. If anything, it's a nod to our fans that they keep making us travel long distances to see our team and now it's much more digestible. Hell, you can take a half day at work and drive to Houston from Baton Rouge and make it with a couple hours to spare before kickoff.

And sure, playing on New Year's is cool, but then you are competing with a handful of other games of similar profile. This time slot means we are the main dish, especially because Nevada/Colorado State found a way to have a Bowl Game without television. I did not know that was even possible.

I think this is a win in every conceivable way. What's so prestigious about Jacksonville or Orlando in early January?

Billy

Yeah, that's kind of where I'm at. Jacksonville doesn't really seem "better" to me per se, and I don't think we deserved the Citrus or Sugar Bowls, so this works fine. It's not "new," but it is a different opponent, and more importantly, a better time-slot. I'm good with it.

Jake

And once you get past the CFP/NY6 bowls, it's all a crapshoot with where you go to a bowl. Lot is determined on travel and all that. Maybe it seems like a C level bowl, but the Gator is basically the same level. And LSU might have been one difference in playoff spot from the Citrus. 

bradyball2000

It might be an ideal game, but it is an ideal location. Playing in Houston makes sense just like playing there Wisconsin there last year. LSU has a strong alumni presence there. So it helps to strengthen the support from our base. And as the SEC continues to move more into the Houston market with the addition of Texas A&M, it helps to draw support from places we never had it before.

I think it's a win-win for the university as a whole. The team just has to go out and win.