Georgia Tech vs. LSU

Yellow Jackets -4 vs. Tigers

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A coup for the Chick-fil-A Bowl may be considered a consolation prize for the defending champion LSU Tigers, but they only have themselves to blame. Five losses out of the final eight games, including three of their last four home games left LSU not only out of the national title and SEC championship picture, but out of the Top 25 altogether. This will be the first time in the bowls history that a defending national champ will be taking part in the game.

The Tigers (7-5) do not get an easy draw in this matchup. Perhaps it is the football gods way of paying back LSU for having a virtual home game in last seasons BSC Championship game held in the New Orleans Superdome. This year they will play in the Georgia Dome, virtually in the backyard of their opponents, Georgia Tech (9-3) on New Years Eve. Techs home field is less than two miles from the site of the bowl game.

The Yellow Jackets finished with seven wins in their final nine contests and achieved the number 14 spot in the Top 25. They beat the rival they seldom beat, Georgia 45-42 in Athens on the final day of the season, November 29th. The victory gave Georgia Tech their third win in four games against ranked teams. In the Georgia game, the Yellow Jackets gained 409 rushing yards and finished third in the nation with 282.3 rushing yards per contest.

Another big day may be in store for them as they will be going up against a poor Tiger defense. LSU seemed to be heading right back to the title game as they started the season 4-0. But a 51-21 loss to Florida started their skid. Two games later, the Tigers gave up 52 points to Georgia and it signaled a shaky defense. Over the final eight games, LSU surrendered 250 points, just 29 shy of the amount they gave up in their championship last year.

Statistics sometimes are a little deceiving and this may be the case with LSU. Much of the Tigers ills on defense this season was against the pass. Against the run, they actually finished 17th in the country by only allowing opponents to rush for 105.7 yards.

LSU loves this bowl game and its predecessor, the Peach Bowl. They have gone 4-0 all-time, including a 28-14 LSU victory over Georgia Tech in 2000. In their most recent trip to the bowl game in 2005, they beat Miami 40-3. LSU has won three straight bowl games and is 20-18-1 in all-time bowl games. Georgia Tech is 22-14 in previous bowl games.

The teams have met 18 times before, but the 2000 Peach Bowl was their first meeting since 1963. The Yellow Jackets lead the series 12-6.

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