Opinion Roundtable: Thoughts On A Michigan/LSU Matchup

Michigan has never played against LSU but a potential matchup with the Tigers is being discussed.

Recently, LSU athletic director Scott Woodward spoke to the local media and revealed that there have been discussions with Michigan about playing the Wolverines and that he's in favor of the game(s) taking place.

LSU is just one of six Power 5 teams that Michigan has never played so facing off against the Bayou Bengals would be pretty cool in the grand scheme of U-M football.

What are some generic and/or specific thoughts surrounding the matchup? We discuss...

Brandon Brown

Even if I wasn't a Michigan fan and didn't cover the program for a living I'd love the idea of this matchup, especially if it ends up being a home-and-home. I absolutely love the idea of Michigan heading down to Death Valley and LSU coming up to The Big House at any point in the season.

Every single week of the college football season I comb through the schedule to find the best games and this would qualify as one of those. It obviously wouldn't happen for a while, but both brands are strong and LSU just won the title last year. On paper it just looks like a fun game to watch.

From a Michigan-specific standpoint, it would be cool to check off one of the Power 5 opponents that the Wolverines haven't faced. There aren't many of them remaining at this point and, along with Clemson, LSU is the biggest and best program left on the short list. I would assume it would be early in the season, which would give whichever program wins a nice boost in the rankings and in the eyes of people on the national stage.

Steve Deace

I love the idea of a future matchup with LSU, my only regret is it didn't happen when Les Miles was there so we could "enjoy" all the interesting subplots. But I've long been a proponent of playing marquee home-and-homes all over the country to expand the brand, rather than Notre Dame every year to cannibalize our own footprint. The key for me is the home-and-home aspect. I much prefer those to the "classics" at a couple of neutral sites. But if I were the AD we'd maybe play a home-and-home with Notre Dame every decade to 15 years or so, and then play matchups like this instead the rest of the time. 

Eric Rutter

A potential matchup with LSU is intriguing for a multitude of reasons. First, any opportunity to take down the reigning national champions should be a savored attempt, but the Tigers have persisted as a strong program regardless of last year’s title reign. Michigan hasn’t played LSU yet up to this point, so it's a fresh matchup that could have a reward that outweighs its risk. Michigan’s recruiting classes are generally on par with that of LSU, so the talent disparity should be slim. However, any potential meeting would likely come away from Ann Arbor, which is territory where Jim Harbaugh does not fare so well. In any event, a Michigan game against LSU would be exciting and should be a new opportunity for U-M to take advantage of the Tigers’ success in the national spotlight. 

Michael Spath 

I'm all about big-time matchups against traditional Power 5 opponents, which is why I'd love for Michigan to keep its upcoming series against Texas (2024 & 2027) and Oklahoma (2025-26). A trip to Baton Rouge to see Michigan play a night game in Death Valley? Sign me up. Though can we play the game in October? Nobody needs to be in that oppressive heat in September! A return visit from the Tigers in October - yes please.

To me, these type of matchups are what college football is all about, both in the past and present day. The bowl games have lost their luster in the playoff era. Non-conference matchups against Group of 5 (or worse, FCS foes) are lame. I understand the drawback of playing better teams, especially when the playoff committee doesn't seem to recognize strength of schedule as a significant component, but unless the playoff field is expanded to eight or 16, I'm realistic about Michigan's chances and I'd rather enjoy some popcorn drama on my fall Saturdays than wake up wondering how big of a bludgeoning the Wolverines will put on Eastern Michigan.