LSU will face Penn State in bowl game

After an up and down season, the LSU football team will get a chance to begin 2010 in style.

Fresh off a 9-3 season, the No. 13 Tigers will ring in the new year in Orlando and will play No. 11 Penn State in the Capital One Bowl.

The game will be played on Jan. 1 and will kickoff at noon.

“We are excited about being invited to participate in the Capital One Bowl,” said LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva. “The Capital One Bowl is one of the great bowl games in college football and we are thrilled with the opportunity to represent the SEC against a top team from the Big 10.”

Against the Nittany Lions, LSU will be facing arguably the most recognizable coach in the history of college football – Joe Paterno.

Paterno has accumulated 393 wins in 44 years with Penn State and even at 82, he has the Nittany Lions going strong heading into the next decade.

LSU’s Miles coached against Paterno every year when Miles was an assistant coach at Michigan.

Miles said he knows how difficult a task it is to defeat any Paterno-led team.

“That’s a name that has been synonymous with Penn State and that name has been synonymous with excellence,” Miles said.

To beat the Lions, the Tigers’ sometimes anemic offense will have to conquer the massive Penn State defense.

LSU’s offense ranks just No. 11 out of 12 teams in the SEC in total offense this season.

That could mean yardage will be tough to come by because the Nittany Lions’ defense has allowed just 14 touchdowns all season and have held opponents to 14 or fewer points in eight of their 12 games this season.

On the opposite side of the football, LSU’s rushing defense will be put to the test against Penn State’s run-oriented, ball control offense.

Junior halfback Evan Royster leads the Lions’ ground attack and has more than 1,100 yards rushing this season.

Containing Royster will likely be a top priority for the Tigers because Penn State is a perfect 12-0 in games Royster has surpassed the 100-yard mark in the past three seasons.

LSU should benefit from a month’s rest before the game.

The Tigers ended the season limping and had numerous injuries on both sides of the football.

But LSU should be close to full strength on New Years’ Day, which history shows could have an impact on the outcome of the game.

LSU has won all four of their bowl games in Miles’ era as coach by a combined 157-44 margin.

But LSU’s last trip to the Capital One Bowl was not quite as rosy and the Tigers lost a 30-25 heartbreaker on the last play of the game against Iowa – coincidentally, that was the same day Miles accepted LSU’s coaching position.

Despite what happened in the past, Miles said LSU’s primary focus against Penn State will be to take momentum into the new year.

“I know our players wanted to play in the best bowl,” Miles said. “We wanted a quality opponent, and any time the Big Ten and the SEC get together, it’s a quality game. Our guys are looking very forward to coming to Orlando and preparing.”