I think it will be a strange feeling of uneasiness in the stadium if less than 80,000 show up. I'm not saying that it will be higher but I think 80,000 is a very low number.
Paid attendance will be higher, but butts in the chairs will be less, I'm thinking--especially if it rains. The game is on national TV. 80,000 is a lot of people, more than most schools seat.
Which brings up a question. For those of you that have season tickets for LSU anything. If you have to evac because of hurricane, and you have time to pack and take things with you, do you make sure you take your tickets? During tornado season, I keep a bag packed in my office with some things in it I would need and pretty much all I have to do is throw in my medicine bottles and billfold. If I were back in South Louisiana, I think that is where I would keep season tickets if I had them.
I would say we will see somewhere between 65k to 70k people max. Displacement of Houstonians, Katrina evacuees who no longer live in La., etc. and that would be without rain. If it rains then 50k max.