Time to go bowling. Three different media outlets project two different bowl games. Both of which would be lower-tier games, can the Tigers start trending upwards?
Erick Smith of USA TODAY Sports is back with his weekly bowl game projections. The LSU Tigers were recently projected to the Outback Bowl against the Michigan Wolverines but after week two’s slate of games that has changed. The Bayou Bengals are projected to go to the Music City Bowl game against a Michigan foe.
Music City Bowl (Nashville, TN)
Bowl Tie In: Big Ten vs SEC
Michigan State Spartans vs LSU Tigers
These two teams met once before in bowl season, a 1995 matchup in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Tigers won that game 45-26. LSU could look to make it 2-0 this season if the projection holds true.
CFP Projections:
Orange Bowl: Alabama vs Oregon
Cotton Bowl: Oklahoma vs Georgia
CFP title game: Alabama vs Georgia
247Sports Bowl Projection:
Put another vote down for the Music City Bowl game from 247Sports but the opponent has changed for this one.
Indiana Hoosiers vs LSU Tigers
This would be the first postseason game in the series history between these two schools. The last game was played in Baton Rouge, back in 1978. The Tigers won 24-17. The other two games took place in Indiana. Once in Indianapolis in 1924, LSU won that game 20-14. They wouldn’t play for another 50 years when the Hoosiers won 24-21 in Bloomington during the 1977 season.
LSU holds the series lead 2-1
ESPN projects a Lone Star Bowl Game
Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach have their weekly projections (subscription required) and both have the Tigers playing in Houston. The Bowl tie-in has the Big 12 vs the SEC. LSU played Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl in 2015.
Bonagura: Baylor vs LSU
This would be an interesting game for a couple of reasons. Former LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda is the head coach of Baylor. Plus a former player, Siaki Ika transferred to play for his former defensive coordinator. LSU leads the all-time series 8-3. They haven’t met since 1985 when the Bears defeated the Tigers 21-7 in the Liberty Bowl.
Schlabach: Oklahoma State vs LSU
The battle of the “State’s” so to speak. Oklahoma State and LSU have met just once in their history. That game was a 13-0 shutout for the Tigers in Death Valley in 1956. There is a connection for this game as well. The Tigers hired Les Miles to be the head coach in 2005, his top assistant Mike Gundy was elevated to head coach of the Cowboys and has remained in that post ever since.