Media and Southern Cal fans: Southern Cal, if we beat Oregon State, deserves to go to the Sugar Bowl, even if LSU finishes 12-1. Southern Cal has dominated its opponents this year, much more so than LSU LSU fan: Southern Cal has been dominant. But so has LSU. LSU and USC have played two common opponents: Auburn and Arizona. LSU beat Auburn 31-7 whereas USC beat Auburn 23-0. LSU beat Arizona 59-13 whereas USC beat Arizona 45-0. LSU won in both games by one more point than did USC. Media and Southern Cal fans: The only reason Southern Cal didn't win bigger is that we put in our subs in the second half. LSU fan: If you look at the actual halftime scores when both teams' starters were in, LSU has the advantage. LSU was leading Auburn 21-0 at half whereas USC was up on Auburn only 10-0. LSU was up on Arizona 38-0 at half whereas USC was up on Arizona 35-0 at half. So in the halftime category, LSU is up 14 points on USC's margin. Media and Southern Cal fans: But throughout the season we have dominated our opponents more than LSU. Just look at our margin of victory. LSU fan: Okay, let's look at the bigger picture. In 11 games USC has scored on average 41.27 points while giving up 17.91 points. In 11 games, LSU has averaged 33.18 points while allowing 9.36 points. That means LSU is winning by an average of 23.82 points while USC is winning by an average of 23.36 points. Media and Southern Cal fans: Well, USC has had a much tougher schedule than LSU. You guys played Western Illinois and Louisiana Monroe! LSU fan: Should LSU beat Arkansas and be included in the SEC Championship Game, all experts say that LSU's strength of schedule will be higher than USC's. Amazingly, that is despite the fact that we played one of the top Div 2 teams, a win for which we get no credit in the BCS and computers. They were last minute substitutes for Marshall, who backed out. So even though we get no credit for beating a top Div 2 team and being hurt tremendously by scheduling ULM, we still will have a tougher schedule than you guys. Media and Southern Cal fans: Our defense is much better than LSU's. We shut down the Cadillac and #6 Auburn, as well as everyone else on our schedule. LSU fan: We have the top scoring defense in the nation. We have the best rushing defense in the nation, one of the best ever. We too stopped Cadillac Williams. In fact, had we not allowed 125 yards rushing in the second half against Louisiana Tech with our backups, our rushing defense would be among the top 5 in NCAA history. Media and Southern Cal fans: We have a better offense. LSU fan: I concede that. While USC's offense is #5 in the nation, LSU's is still #22. We have arguably the best WR corps in the nation, though, I know you and OU have a decent argument for your case. We have five outstanding running backs, three of whom are freshmen. You also have great freshmen running backs. Our offensive line is said to be the best in the nation by many experts. Your QB is better than ours, and he deserves Heisman consideration. Media and Southern Cal fans: USC has played more quality teams and beaten them. LSU fan: Is that true? USC's only win over a team that is still ranked is Washington State, who has lost three times, once to Washington, a team Arizona recently beat. USC's only other "quality" win was against Auburn when Auburn was ranked, but as already mentioned, LSU beat Auburn more convincingly than did USC. In fact, LSU has beaten two teams that remain ranked in the top 20 now. We beat Auburn when they were ranked. We beat #6 Georgia. If we beat Arkansas, who is a top 30 team, we will play another top 10 team (UGA, UF, or UT). You do remember that your only loss was to a 7-6, unranked U Cal team while our only loss is to a top 15 Florida team that will climb into the top 10 if they beat FSU? Media and Southern Cal fans: USC won the PAC-10, a conference that is much tougher than the SEC. Give us a break, Ole Miss won six straight in the SEC. LSU fan: If you look at the rankings, the SEC has 4 teams in the top 12 and 3 in the top 10. The PAC 10 has one team in the top 10. The second highest is Washington State at an inflated #14 ranking. The middle of the pack SEC teams are #18 Ole Miss, top 30 Arkansas, top 40 Auburn, and a top 50 Alabama team that nearly beat Oklahoma. I think side by side, the top of the SEC would beat the top of the PAC 10. The middle of the SEC would probably beat the top of the PAC-10, save USC. Media and Southern Cal fans: Okay, okay, the comparisons are similar, but we're going to the Sugar, partly because there's no way the voters move LSU past USC. LSU fan: That may very well be the case. Is it deserved? Should an 11-1 PAC 10 team with a weaker strength of schedule and a loss against an unranked team be ahead of a 12-1 SEC team with a loss against a top 15 team? I do know that if more LSU fans spread around these stats, LSU might get some more respect in the human polls. We'll have to wait to see what happens.
Nice post, but one correction: Alabama played Oklahoma at Alabama this season. Send this stuff out, folks, to your local sports radio shows, and most importantly to your local AP voter.
Although it's been mentioned countless times already, it still comes down to the human polls. If we move to #2 in the AP or Coaches poll, we're in. It's all up to who the media wants to annoint "worthy" of playing Oklahoma. Right now we're just hoping the computers overcome the fact that we're ranked #3 in the polls. It won't be easy.
So many people seem to be saying that if LSU doesn't get to number 2 in one of the human polls, we can't get in. That's not true. If LSU and USC come out even after the computer polls and human polls are added up, LSU gets in. We will have the higher Strength of Schedule. We may end up with some QW for Georgia, but we don't even HAVE to have that.
Thanks for the corrections. I think the corrected version should be circulated on the internet and in emails. Emails to voters and even to the LSU Sports Information Director who could distribute it to other SIDs might be helpful. We may need the votes of humans, and it's better we start this campaign now as opposed to later when it may be too late. The worst case scenario is we lose one of our games, and USC proves it deserves to be there when we don't. Well, really, the worst case scenario is if we don't do anything and USC goes instead of a more deserving LSU team.
I just posted your arguement on the ESPN board and on this USC board that I found here. http://www.netshaq.com/forum/index.php
You could also add that we were originally scheduled to play Troy St. (6-6) instead of ULM (1-11) (though we have no one to blame but ourselves for this switch).
