I agree that Bama is the biggest competition for Sugar. LSU will lose by 2 scores to UGA in SECCG and the Sugar doesn’t want the local team, they want the fan bases that will come spend money. I know the SEC gets a big say in the bowl matchups but you would have to think that if Milton shows out this weekend that the Sugar bowl could be salivating at a UT fan base coming down to New Orleans and spending a **** load of money. Just look at the fans that showed up to Baton Rouge earlier this year. That game and image of orange overtaking the stadium is fresh in the Sugar bowl boards mind. I could also see them salivating at Bama a bit too though. Bama has been to the Sugar Bowl 3 times in the last decade but not for the last 4 years and 2 of those were playoff games. Who knows. I still think there’s a decent chance of a Sugar Bowl but I think it would have to come down to the Sugar Bowl pushing for us over Bama because we all know Sankey will side with his buddy Saban.
we haven't been to the Sugar Bowl since 1991.
i don't care how Joe Milton looks. if we are a legit qualifier to go, and there's no legit obstacles to going, there's zero financial downside for Tennessee to wind up in New Orleans this year, and at at the end of the day, that's all that'll matter.
and the consolation prize for Bama isn't exactly the Liberty Bowl, it's another NY6 game, so in essence, there's almost no downside for anyone, except some maybe hurt feelings by some fans, somewhere....and we know nobody cares about that.
all tings considered, and all that said, as much as i'd like to go to the Sugar Bowl, this year, since NYD is on a sunday, the sugar bowl is played on Saturday, Dec 31, at 11 a.m. CST. the orange bowl is i think Friday night.
so if we had the opportunity to play in the orange bowl against say, Clemson, on that Friday night....sign me up.