The bare-chested men standing alongside Interstate 49 were the first clue that the OU-LSU Sugar Bowl would be different for Sooner fans accustomed to New Year’s revelry.
Just south of I-20 in Shreveport, Louisiana, where OU fans would turn south for New Orleans, stood the shirtless guys, in cold weather, holding up spray-painted signs that read “Tiger bait.”
LSU's provocative catchphrase did not lose steam in the French Quarter.
Sixteen years ago, New Orleans hosted the national championship game, and Oklahoma fans were riding high. The 2000 Sooners won the national title in the Orange Bowl.