LSU football: 5 non-conference games that need to happen
Oct 11, 2014; Tucson, AZ, USA; Detailed view of a Southern California Trojans helmet during the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. The Trojans defeated the Wildcats 28-26. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The LSU football team has won 49 consecutive regular season non-conference games. Here are five opponents that they should consider scheduling in the near future.
When it comes to non-conference games, the LSU football team has become the gold standard of success.
The Tigers have won 49 consecutive regular season non-conference games, and they are undefeated in such circumstances under head coach Les Miles.
To find the last time the LSU football team lost a regular season non-conference game, you have to go back 13 years, when they lost to No. 16 Virginia Tech in 2002. With McNeese State, Syracuse, Eastern Michigan and Western Kentucky on the schedule in 2015, it seems safe to say that the Bayou Bengals will be extending their win streak to 53 games this season.
Typically, LSU’s non-conference schedule features at least one formidable opponent. The Tigers have opened the season with victories over ranked opponents such as Wisconsin, TCU and Oregon in recent years. In the next seven years, this trend of high-profile non-conference games will continue.
LSU currently has games scheduled against Wisconsin (Green Bay, 2016), BYU (Houston, 2017), Miami (Cowboys Stadium, 2018), Texas (home-and-home, 2019/ 2020), UCLA (home-and-home, 2021/ 2023) and Arizona State (home-and-home, 2022/ 2023).
Although the Tigers have some big names on the schedule in the coming years, it is a constant struggle to find willing non-conference opponents, according to The Advocate.
"“Literally 80 percent just say ‘no’ right away,” LSU AD Joe Alleva told 104.5 FM ESPN Radio back in May. “They’re a little more open to the so-called neutral-site game. That’s why we were able to attract a Wisconsin, a TCU, a BYU in the future. “Teams don’t want to come to Tiger Stadium and get their butts beat. That’s just a fact of life. I’m being as blunt as I can be — they don’t want to schedule losses.”"
While Alleva’s statement may come off as a little brash, it is also filled with truth. For more than a decade, a non-conference matchup with LSU has meant certain defeat.
So which teams should the Tigers attempt to schedule in the near future?
We take a look at five non-conference games that need to happen for the LSU football team.
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