Just hours before the Peach Bowl kickoff, LSU offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger got word that his daughter-in-law, Carley McCord, was among five people killed in a small plane crash in Lafayette. The plane was en route to Atlanta to watch the game. Ensminger was seen on the field prior to the game with tears in his eyes. He coached throughout the game.

LSU went on to easily manage Oklahoma, 63-28.

"I was the one that had to tell (Ensminger)," said coach Ed Orgeron, a longtime friend, in his postgame press conference. "I told him what happened, and here's what he said: 'Coach, we're going to get through this.' And obviously he was distraught, but he called a great game today. That just goes to show you the integrity and the grit and character of the men on our football team."

"It was tough," he later added. "I didn't want the team to know. I didn't want it to affect the team, the mindset of the football team, the energy of the football team. Neither did Steve. We tried to keep it from the. I think they found out before the game. There was a little concern they might be a little low, but it sure wasn't the way we started."