BATON ROUGE, La. - Gov. Kathleen Blanco called Rose and Orange bowl presidents to lobby No. 5 LSU for a high Bowl Championship Series berth.<br>
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``Anyone who follows college football knows this has been a successful year for LSU and we Tiger fans are some of the most passionate fans in college sports,'' she said Thursday. ``Our team deserves a BCS berth.<br>
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``I am reminding representatives of these bowls of the excitement our state shares for this team and everything we offer as LSU fans. An invitation to any of these bowls would be a major win for both LSU and the bowls themselves.''<br>
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At No. 5 in the BCS and Associated Press standings, the Tigers (10-2) are considered to have a good chance at their first Rose Bowl invitation.<br>
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Blanco, whose husband has coached college and high-school football, spoke with Rose Bowl President and CEO Paul Holman about the Tigers' successful season and enthusiasm about the bowl in Pasadena.<br>
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Last month, Blanco hosted Holman and Tournament of Roses Committee members at the Governor's Mansion during the group's visit to Louisiana.<br>
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She also spoke with Orange Bowl President Eric Poms about the possibility of the Tigers heading to Miami.<br>
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Both bowls are expected to make their announcements Sunday.<br>
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A BCS berth for LSU depends hangs on the outcome of two conference championships Saturday: The Southeastern Conference title game between Arkansas and No. 4 Florida and Arkansas, and Pac-10, between No. 2 Southern Cal (10-1) and heavy underdog UCLA.
