Students at Louisiana State University have voiced their opinions of the upcoming Tide-Tiger rematch in the BCS National Championship game, and they weren’t gentle.
“There’s no such thing as a rematch,” said Abby Joyce, a sophomore majoring in mass communication. “[LSU] won, they played their hearts out, they won their conference, they are No. 1 – sorry that Alabama is second best this time.”
Cody Wells, LSU’s Student Government Association president, has no fear of a loss.
“Between the Honeybadger and Hilliard, the Tigers will be scoring in intervals of sevens, not threes,” he said in an email. “Maybe y’all will win if the Superdome puts four goal posts in the end zone.”
Wells said the team has only improved since its defeat of Alabama, and players have not sustained serious injuries, ensuring a win for the Tigers.
He said championship day preparation hasn’t just started; campus has been ready for the entire season. However, this week students are preparing for a different type of stressor: finals.
“Students have been asking one question: If Alabama students fail their final exams, do they get to re-take them?” Wells said, according to a post on the official LSU Student Government Facebook page. “If Alabama’s academics are anything like their athletics – they just might get a second chance.”
Devin Conway, an LSU junior, echoed the sentiment, saying LSU should not have to beat Alabama again. He reasoned that LSU would have had a much easier time beating Oklahoma State University, the team Alabama rivaled for a spot in the championship.
Like UA, Oklahoma State has only lost one game – against Iowa State, an unranked team.
Conway said the only good thing arising from the rematch is the guarantee of another SEC national champion.
Many students don’t expect an easy win from the Tide.
“Alabama fans are being given a second chance to win, so I definitely think they will bring everything they’ve got and play hard,” Joyce said. “It will be a game of lots of talent and skill from both teams.”
Joyce said the campus and surrounding areas have already begun preparing for the game, decorating with every possible piece of LSU memorabilia.
Joyce agreed that the championship will prove LSU is the best team in the nation, but she later wavered.
“I don’t think it’s fair that Alabama gets another chance, because if we happen to lose the game, which we won’t, but just if we do, we won’t get another chance to win,” she said.
