for pride, I agree hands down that it is... for school recognition in the media, I agree hands down that it is... but the kids make a short list of 7-8 schools and they will watch those schools' bowl games no matter what bowl it is, and if you beat the face of college football before USC by 37 points, it does a lot... I guarantee this will sway us a couple of commits we didn't expect to get... This is only an arguement b/c WVU "sucks" though... I think they were just as good as Miami, just not in name... Had we known we would be in a matchup with Penn St. or something, we would all want to eb in the Sugar
Getting this win meant more than the championship game and the sugar bowl. We got lots of national pub as being in the best non-BCS bowl. This was a really bad blemish for Miami, on the other hand. Coker isn't going to get it done at Miami. We've contributed to the temporary (?) downfall of Miami. I never wish to lose a game, but this really worked out well for LSU.
The mileage we'll get out of smashing Miami will last for several years. The bowl game name will long be forgotten, but the beating Miami took at the hands of the Tigers will not. This game, this WIN, was our ticket to the big time. Now, we're back to being the champs in '03 (Texas can help us a lot on that by winning Wednesday night--then, USC didn't "three peat" and people will start remembering who the TRUE champs were in '03), and we have a signature win that's been lacking since the championship season. A win over WVA wouldn't have done that. With that being said, YES, I wish we'd have won the SEC, but I was much happier with our bowl match-up as it turned out.
Winning your conference,then winning a BCS bowl is bigger, by far. The only thing that makes your win big was the score... that may sway a recruit, but no more than a BCS win would have, imo.
The coaches and sportswriters won't be worrying which bowl we played in next year; but this game will stick in their heads. Many said the Peach Bowl was the second best matchup behind USC/Texas, shoulda been a BCS matchup, and LSU knocked the living snot out of Miami. I think a 40-3 thumping of Miami beats a 40-3 thumping of West Virginia hands down.
I doubt that Georgia is going to blow out West Virginia the way LSU handled Miami. LSU got the best TV window out of the start of the better bowl games. If the national audience didn't come away with a solid respect for the LSU program, I'm not sure what would.
Read the comments from fans at the end of this article. LSU wouldn't be getting the same props after a Sugar Bowl win over WV. http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=48854
:hihi: Please do NOT take me as trying to take anything away from our win tonight. We kicked a great team's ass tonight and did it PERFECTLY. That is NOT what I am trying to say. :hihi: But, I still don't see how someone can say that beating UGA's ass in the SECCG and then whoever in the Sugar Bowl is LESS impressive then beating Miami in the Peach. Beating UGA and WVWho would have made us a Top 3 team. That really isn't even close, imo.
I also agree with this assessment. The humilliating loss at the SECCG would be forgiven and forgotten by the press because of the impressive win over Miami in the game touted as the best non BCS bowl game matchup. I believe people would understand that the LSU team was just worn out after playing 11 games straight going into the SECCG. The announcers on ESPN at one point did kind of mention the 11 game streak, I think. Yesterday's game showed everyone what LSU BALL is all about.:thumb: ________ List of mercedes-benz engines
To most fans outside of LSU, the game will be remembered as a major step in the on-going decline of the Miami program. Do a google search on the game and you will see exactly what I'm talking about. You had a great win and it is only natural to be overly pumped by what it all means. LSU will get deserved kudos, but "what's happened to Miami" will get most of the storylines. Ah, the press.....:shock:
