The Georgia Dome: LSU's Home Away from Home

Going back to the late 1960s, The Atlanta Peach Bowl/Chick Fil-A Classic has been a very successful Bowl Game for The LSU Tigers to participate in. Since the Bowl Game moved to the Georgia Dome, the Dome has actually become like a home away from home for The Tigers. LSU's record in The Georgia Dome is 7-1, with it's only loss coming at the hands of The Georgia Bulldogs in the 2005 SEC Championship Game.    

LSU's Atlanta winning streek began in the Innargural Peach Bowl Game of 1968 when The LSU Tigers of the SEC were chosen to play against The Florida State Seminoles, a Southern Independent, and LSU won that initial game in a thriller by 31-27.  

However, it was not until 1996 when LSU was again invited back to play in The Peach Bowl, now being played in the Georgia Dome, against the Clemson Tigers of the ACC.  It was a game between two Tiger teams that was a very close contest and it was eventually won by the LSU Tigers on a field goal with a final score of 10-7.   The significance of this game is that it would start LSU on it's magical string of victories in the Georgia Dome.

Next it was the Year 2000 ( the new millenium) and the LSU Tigers under the coaching of Nick Saban would begin a new mission to become one of the truely dominant national  programs of this decade. As a result, LSU became the first College team in the history of the BCS to win Two (2) BCS National Championships under two different coaches and both championships were won in this decade.  

However, Saban resigned from LSU in 2004 to become the coach of the NFL Miami Dolphins, and Les Miles from Oklahoma State was hired to take over.  All Miles has done is become the winningest coach in LSU history for his first five years and that includes Saban.  It was under Saban that LSU won it's first BCS Title in 2003, and then it was under Miles that LSU won it's second BCS Title in 2007.  During this period LSU also won three SEC Championships with two under Saban and one under Miles with all games being played in the Georgia Dome.  

What does all of this really mean other than the fact that LSU has a history of winning some big games in the Georgia Dome.  LSU fans are of course hopeful this will be an advantage for the # 21 ranked LSU Tigers when they tee it up on Saturday night once again in the Georgia Dome against the # 18 ranked University of North Carolina Tar Heels.

Of course we have all been reading about the NCAA investigations going on at UNC, but LSU and it's coach Miles say they are prepared to face a tough well coached North Carolina team no matter which players they start. UNC under Coach Butch Davis is building a very strong program that is definitely on the rise; but these investigations will certainly be a set back for them, but they should over come them in time.  

However, if the rumored player suspensions become a reality, I don't see any way for the UNC Tar Heel's vaunted defense to present the same problems for LSU's offense they were originally expected to present.  LSU is expecting to have a much improved  running game and if quarterback Jordan Jefferson can show the improvements the coaching staff have been saying he has, then the Tigers should roll in this game. 

I don't know how much LSU's recent history of winning in the Georgia Dome will have to do with the outcome of this game, but I do see the LSU Fighting Tigers winning by a score of 24-7 over an outmanned University of North Carolina Tar Heels.