I believe that playing a 10 game season in 2005 is in the best interests of the LSU football team. Here are my primary reasons: 1-"Winnability"--Yes, the season will go on, starting this Saturday in Tempe. Whether or not the boys win them all is, of course, an open issue. Here's the schedule as it now stands: September 10 at No. 20 Arizona State 8:45 PM ET September 17 OPEN September 24 No. 3 Tennessee TBA October 1 at Mississippi St. TBA October 8 at Vanderbilt 2:00 PM ET October 15 No. 10 Florida 3:30 PM ET October 22 No. 16 Auburn TBA October 29 OPEN November 5 Appalachian St. 8:00 PM ET November 12 at Alabama 3:30 PM ET November 19 at Mississippi TBA Tickets November 25 Arkansas 2:30 PM ET Drilling down further, the schedule *as it now stands* consists of 3 phases: Phase I=Single road game against ASU, followed by an off week Phase II=Five consecutive games (3 at home, 2 on the road) followed by an off week Phase III=Four consecutive games (2 at home, 2 on the road) IMO, this is not a terribly bad schedule. In fact, it's quite nice. Just this past Saturday, we saw an Auburn team that bore little resemblance to the 2004 version, a Tennessee team that certainly has kinks to work out and an Alabama team that bore great resemblance to the 2004 team. One thing that kind of skews this "good thing" is shoehorning that N Tx game in on Oct. 29. Yeah, the school loses $$ with the lost home games (2 at the moment), but everyone is suffering at this time from a financial standpoint. Yes, LSU fans want to see their team play at home as many times as possible...but, honestly, if not rescheduling that N Tx game--and avoiding a murderous *NINE GAME IN A ROW* stretch in the process--maximizes the chances of this team going 10-0 and realizing its potential...well, I know which option I'd choose. *NCAA RULES* Best I can tell, there is no minimum on the # of games played per season, and if there is one, common sense tells me that limit is not 10 games; I'm not surprised at this b/c you have to host a minimum # of home games (4) and win a minimum # of games versus Div 1-A schools (6) in order to maintain Div 1-A status and be bowl eligible, respectively, so schools have little incentive to schedule fewer than, say, 6 or 7 games. Here's what I found on the subject: LSU still satisfies the minimum 4 home game rule playing a 10 game schedule. *POLLS* As for the polls, LSU sits high up in the polls at the present time. In the grand scheme of things, I seriously doubt a 40 point pasting of N Texas would impact their computer rankings or the human polls in any meaningful way. Speaking of poll voters, I believe that the march towards a 10-0 season would make LSU the biggest media darlings this side of South Central Los Angeles. Imagine the headlines: LSU overcomes amazing adversity to make run at a magical season, Tigers give hope to home state fans, etc. You pitch shutout ball, so to speak, under such trying conditions---5 home games, 5 on the road---and the media will give LSU a real edge in the sentimentality department that it did not have even a week ago. Besides, go 10-0 and the SEC Championship Game becomes your 11th game. If you think missing out on the chance to go 12-0 puts LSU at a disadvantage in terms of going to the Rose Bowl, ask Pete Carroll how much going 11-0 in the regular season hurt his chances. Feel free to add to or detract from this as you see fit, but I think the case for 10 games is a strong one. Yeah, I want to watch LSU football, but I want to watch winning LSU football---national title contending winning LSU football---even more this season. :crystal:
Wow, I must be really convincing b/c I've gotten no replies so far...LOL. Bumping to keep it visible...
The only problem (and a big one) is the App St. game. By many of the computers, it is not even considered a game because it is not against a Div I-A school, thus making it a 9 game schedule.
Sadly, you're correct. Perhaps Coach Miles can lessen the crushing burden of a 9 game in 9 week stretch by not playing the starters in, say, the Appy St game at all and getting them off the field ASAP versus N Tx.
