http://www.2theadvocate.com/columnists/rosetta/36211349.html
From one interview session with a handful of LSU football players, it’s tough to get a handle on the Tigers’ frame of mind as they begin what could be an arduous task of getting ready for a bowl most of the fan base doesn’t seem to be all that jazzed up about.
A couple of things did surface Monday, though.
While there might not be much glamour attached to squaring off with Georgia Tech in the 41st annual Chick-fil-A Bowl for the fans, it’s a meaningful milepost for an LSU program accustomed to so much more.
What the game lacks in toe-curling excitement for fans, it’s saturated with meaning for the Tigers players — particularly the ones who are stepping on the field for the final time in those familiar yellow-gold helmets.
Heading to Atlanta and the Georgia Dome has been a highly-anticipated reward the last several times LSU has earned the trip.
Even the appearance in the 2005 Chick-fil-A Bowl could be looked at that way considering who the Tigers were paired with.
Not so this time.
Not only is the Chick-fil-A Bowl a letdown for the Tigers, it represents a jolting wakeup call about what went wrong this season.
Nope, no reward this time. Instead, this has the distinct feeling of a business trip.
And the Tigers CEO isn’t in the best of moods.
When LSU coach Les Miles and Georgia tech counterpart Paul Johnson took part in an official bowl press conference in Atlanta on Monday, there was a palpable difference in their demeanor.
The usually affable Miles, was straight-forward, no-nonsense and to the point.
Johnson was looser; at one point suggesting his triple-option offense might expand to include some run-and-shoot elements.
2theadvocate.com
12/16/08
