Okay, let’s talk about figuring out where LSU might land for their bowl game this year. It’s something I’ve been digging into lately, kind of a yearly ritual for me.
My Process for Projecting LSU’s Bowl Game
First thing I did was pull up LSU’s schedule and results. You gotta look at the wins, sure, but the losses tell a story too. Who’d they lose to? How close were the games? That context matters a lot when bowls start picking teams.
Then, I spent some time just looking around at the bigger picture in college football. Checked out the latest rankings, you know, the AP Poll, Coaches Poll, and especially how the SEC teams are stacking up against each other. Where LSU sits in the conference pecking order is super important because the SEC has agreements with specific bowls.
After getting a feel for LSU’s performance and the overall landscape, I started looking at what some of the folks who do this for a living are saying. You know, the analysts and sports writers. It’s interesting because you’ll see a bunch of different opinions:
- Some might have LSU heading to one bowl.
- Others predict a completely different spot.
- And a few might throw out a real surprise pick.
I don’t just take their word for it, though. I try to understand why they’re projecting a certain bowl. Are they focusing on geography? Potential TV matchup? Conference tie-ins?
Next step involved thinking about those SEC bowl tie-ins myself. The conference has agreements, like the Sugar Bowl for the champ (usually), then the Citrus Bowl gets a top pick, and then there’s a pool of other bowls like the ReliaQuest (formerly Outback), Gator, Texas, Liberty, Music City, etc. You have to figure out where LSU realistically slots into that hierarchy based on their record compared to other SEC teams.
I also considered LSU’s specific situation. What are their strengths this year? Who’s playing well? Would a certain matchup be exciting for fans or good for TV ratings? Bowls think about that stuff too, not just the strict win-loss record sometimes.
My Thoughts Right Now
Putting it all together, based on their record and how the SEC is shaping up, I’m leaning towards one of those Florida bowls maybe? Like the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa or maybe the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville seems like a strong possibility. The Citrus Bowl feels like a bit of a reach unless some other teams stumble badly down the stretch.
Of course, this is all just educated guesswork right now. It’s super volatile. One big upset in the final weeks or in the conference championship games can shake everything up completely. The selection committees also have their own criteria.
So yeah, that’s been my process. Looking at the record, checking the conference standings, seeing what others predict, and thinking about the bowl agreements. Now we just wait and see how the rest of the season plays out before the official announcements. Always an interesting puzzle to try and solve.
