WSJ Article about teams and TV rating in bowls (LSU 4th from last)

But after considering it, it should make sense right?

I think it does have a bit of an influence though due to playing in the sugar bowl so many times. People go down to new orleans and watch the game there even if they aren't going to the game.

Yeah, basically that study just confirms that schools from dense population centers attract larger viewing audiences. No surprise.

everboody hates lsu

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The results here may be flawed, but they're another reason to can Crowton

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Who wants to watch Les blow somebody out if you're not an LSU fan?

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I wouldn't say Michigan is a dense population area.

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Dense was probably an imprecise word to use. I just meant big. And Michigan has the 8th biggest population in the Union. It also draws fans from nearby Chicago.

By contrast, Louisiana has the 25th largest population.

Big market, big audience. Smaller market, smaller audience.

In fact, all of the findings in the WSJ journal can be explained by simple population metrics. Two the teams in their top five hail from Florida, the fourth largest state in the Union and home to several large cities. As noted, Michigan is the eighth largest state in the Union by population. USC is in America's second largest city, which is itself located in the largest state in the U.S. Notre Dame is situated immediately adjacent to the fifth largest state (Illinois) and the third largest city in America (Chicago). (I'll concede that Notre Dame is sui generis because it has a quasi-national following, though the fan base has been shrinking over the last decade).

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That seems like an odd way to judge something. Isn't it possible that they just thought our rabid fan base was much larger than it actually is?

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Nah. The bowl game's expected ratings are probably based on the previous years' games. They probably are basing it on which bowl game it is, rather than which teams are playing.

If the rating is compared to the previous years bowl, then LSU should do well this year since the game is the only one on at night - and since last years Cotton Bowl was Ole Miss.

Honestly though, how long was that list?

So cal wins because everyone and their mom tunes in to see them hopefully lose.