BATON ROUGE, La. - Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco called the Rose and Orange bowl presidents to lobby for LSU and a high berth in the Bowl Championship Series.

At No. 5 in the BCS and The Associated Press polls, the Tigers (10-2) are considered to have a good chance at their first Rose Bowl invitation.

Baton Rouge television station WAFB reported Thursday that fifth-ranked Louisiana State will play in the Rose Bowl on January 1.

Citing information from a member of the Rose Bowl Board who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the CBS affiliate reports the Tigers will oppose either Michigan or Southern California in the game.

“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.

“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.”

Blanco, whose husband 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.

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Last month, Blanco hosted Holman and Tournament of Roses Committee members at the Governor’s mansion. She also spoke with Orange Bowl President Eric Poms about the possibility of the Tigers heading to Miami.

Both bowls are expected to make their announcements Sunday.

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.

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