Last year Tulane had everything fall its way to play USC, which had lost its last game to Utah, its second defeat to them.
If the same thing happened to Louisiana, they would still not be a major college in football. Playing a bowl game against a P5 team doesn’t make for a major college football program. Playing G5 opponents all season long, then playing a P5 for a bowl game keeps you at the G5 level. IMO.