Greatest team of all-time.
LSU can make an argument if it beats Alabama in the BCS title game. No joke.
The Tigers have already beaten: Pac-12 champion Oregon and 10-3 Georgia on neutral fields; second-ranked Alabama (which would be the undisputed No. 1 had LSU not been on its schedule) and Big East champion West Virginia on the road; and 10-2 Arkansas at home.
On top of that, LSU beat three other teams ranked in the top 25 on the date they played (Mississippi State, Florida and Auburn).
I looked at the last 40 years of undefeated national champions. Nobody has a stronger profile than LSU 2011.
Michigan ’97 beat seven ranked teams, more than any other undefeated champion. LSU, with a win over the Crimson Tide, would have nine.
A select group (Notre Dame ’88, Nebraska ’95, Michigan ’97, Tennessee ’98 and Oklahoma ’00) defeated four top-10 teams. Miami ’87 beat five.
LSU would have four top-10 wins, but all four would be in the top-3 at their time of meeting. No other champion can make that claim, and only Notre Dame ’88 and Oklahoma ’00 beat three in the top-3.
Say what you want about LSU’s offense — it’s average. Say what you want about Les Miles — he’s eccentric.
But against a great schedule, the Tigers have beaten all but one opponent by 13 points or more. If they topple the Tide again (that’s a big “if”), there’s no arguing with the numbers. LSU will own arguably the greatest season of the modern era.
And if that’s true, doesn’t LSU have to be in the conversation for best team of all-time?
* * *
>> Greg McDermott has one of the nation’s best offensive teams. And that offense is likely good enough to carry Creighton to 25 wins and a Valley title. But if Creighton wants to do some damage in the NCAA tournament, it needs to prove it can defend athleticism, especially athletic guards.
The Jays took one on the chin Saturday at St. Joseph’s. They’ll recover. But giving up 29 points to St. Joe’s guard Carl Jones raised a few red flags. Creighton’s defense, especially on the perimeter, needs to improve.
>> Indiana’s buzzer-beating 3 to upset Kentucky Saturday was as good as any college basketball regular-season moment I can remember. Suddenly the Big Ten — outside of Iowa and Penn State — looks really good. Which is really bad news for Doc Sadler. The Huskers stopped the bleeding Saturday at TCU. But they have much work to do before Dec. 27.
>> Iowa basketball recruits Mike Gesell and Adam Woodbury drew a packed house Saturday night in South Sioux City. Gesell, who chose Iowa over Nebraska, led South Sioux to an easy win over the 7-foot Woodbury and Sioux City East. Gesell hit five 3s in the first half and finished with 25 points; Woodbury battled foul trouble all night and had 10 points and 15 boards.
Hawkeyes coach Fran McCaffery was in the stands to watch. Judging by Iowa’s pitiful start this season, I wonder if Gesell and Woodbury would be in McCaffery’s lineup right now.
Gesell and South Sioux will make a few regular-season trips to the Omaha area. The first is Dec. 20 at Ralston.
>> A decade ago, could you have imagined a Heisman Trophy winner from Baylor? Baylor! In athletic circles, Baylor is still best known for Dave Bliss and football futility. Outside athletics, Waco is still synonymous with David Koresh.
Griffin’s accomplishments on the field were incredible. But it pales in comparison to what he did — and will do — for the reputation of his school and his community.
>> Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker is retiring. That’s another program that might take a run at Mike Stoops. If Stoops opts for the highest bidder, he’s probably looking at a $700,000-800,000 salary. Not bad for a gig that doesn’t include press conferences.
>> The Pac-12 wants to play football games in China. Wow.
>> Utah State’s football coach upheld his promise to players and got the school’s logo tattooed on his back. That’s gonna be really awkward when he gets fired someday.
>> Ohio State football received an NCAA waiver so it can essentially employ two football staffs this month: one (led by Luke Fickell) that prepares the Buckeyes for a bowl game, one (led by Urban Meyer) that focuses on recruiting. Michigan AD Dave Brandon doesn’t like it:
“It allows more coaching resources to work on the two primary responsibilities of any staff — coaching and recruiting,” Brandon told the AP. “I am struggling to understand how this relates to the ‘level playing field’ the NCAA claims it is always working to create.”
>> How do you explain Tim Tebow winning six straight? How do you explain Sunday’s comeback in Denver? Marion Barber running out of bounds under 2 minutes. Barber fumbling in overtime — inside field-goal range. You can’t make this stuff up.
Tebow is rewriting the book on NFL drama — and what it means to succeed at quarterback. The best part? The climax may still be coming. Next week’s Denver-New England clash is the NFL’s most appetizing game of the year. Tim Tebow vs. Tom Brady? Ratings will be off the charts.
I know who should win. But at this point, who isn’t rooting for Tebow? I’d love to see Bill Belichick stammering through a postgame press conference, trying to explain how Tim Tebow did it again.
>> The best half hour of TV every week isn’t “Modern Family.” It’s the NFL RedZone channel Sunday from 2:45-3:15 p.m. During a span of about five minutes Sunday, Houston, Tennessee, Washington and Minnesota all had chances to win or tie inside the 10-yard line in the final seconds. You didn’t have to be a fantasy football junkie to be on the edge of your couch.
>> Finally, a postscript to the lead topic. Here’s a list of undefeated national champions since 1992 and the ranked teams they beat (rankings are not from postseason polls, but from the date of the game):
92 Alabama: No. 13, 16, 12, 1
94 Nebraska: No. 24, 13, 16, 2, 3
95 Nebraska: No. 8, 7, 10, 2
97 Michigan: No. 8, 15, 15, 2, 23, 4, 8
97 Nebraska: No. 2, 17, 14, 3
98 Tennessee: No. 17, 2, 7, 10, 23, 2
00 Oklahoma: No. 11, 2, 1, 23, 8, 3
01 Miami: No. 14, 14, 12, 14, 4
02 Ohio State: No. 10, 17, 19, 12, 1
04 USC: No. 7, 15, 2
05 Texas: No. 4, 24, 10, 1
10 Auburn: No. 12, 12, 6, 9, 18, 2
11 LSU: No. 3, 25, 16, 17, 19, 2, 3, 12, 2*
(*If LSU beats Alabama)
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i would say to be best cfb team of all time that the offense would have to be at least mediocre. and does beating rated teams really count if they’re not any good and college fb is watered down like a strip-club cocktail?
easy dirk….
To The Rat, you took the words right out of my mouth. Rankings of opponents mean almost nothing. Especially, if it is Georgia this year who lost to Boise St on its home field. Now, if it is Nebraska, in 71, who beat the FINAL numbers 2, 3 and 4 (Oklahoma, Colorado and Alabama), that is a whole other story. Hey, Dirk, take a sec from bashing Bo and Martinez and write about a story like that: what was the rankings of opponents beaten at the end of the year.
Not sure I follow your logic on Georgia, Paul. Boise St. is a perennial top-10 team. Georgia’s other two losses were also to teams in the top 10 at the end of the regular season. The Bulldogs won 10 games in a row in the SEC. That’s a good team that LSU had to beat to win the SEC title.
Not really. There are a few good teams in the SEC, there rankings are inflated because the good teams didn’t play each other across division but they are still thought of as great SOS because its SEC. Nebraska should prove that the SEC is not leaps and bounds better than everyone else after the first 2.
they’ve scored under 35 twice this entire year, with 5 of the last 6 games over 40….
How many Defensive and SP TD’s. They have also been in a lot of dog fights where they make the score look ugly at the end.
Agreed, LSU’s O is tragic. couldn’t see them scoring on the 95′ D (at all) and there 4 NFL DB’s wouldn’t do them a whole lot of good either.
You also must footnote LSU as one of the most over-signing programs in the country. It makes a huge difference, and its why both they and Alabama appear to be more full of talent than other programs. It’s dispicable, and slimy. Those programs should be shut down for the way they have treated their football recruits and players.
The NCAA closed that loop, so over-signing should be a thing of the past now. Let’s see how Alabama and LSU do over the next few years now that they can’t stockpile talent.
Also, you might want to re-consider the shutdown request considering this same tactic is what allowed Nebraska (among many others) to dominant so thoroughly in the 80s and 90s.
Everybody was allowed to have bigger classes back then. It wasn’t an advantage gained over others by bending the rules. I’ll wait and see if the new restrictions have much impact, there are already rules in place but they find ways around them with greyshirting “medical” hardships etc.
Creighton had a terrible shooting day on Saturday. Their defense does need to be shored up, also. It won’t be easy. The Valley, along with the Big 10, looks really good this year, also.
Lets see. Indiana vs Ohio St or Illinois St vs Evansville. Rich, how do you compare The Valley to the Big 10?
Oh sorry. I forgot how great the Big 10 is and that no other conference can play good basketball.
Who said The Valley is good basketball. Ever heard the word “mid-major”.
Most BCS teams usually hear about mid-major teams after they lose to one or more.
You forgot Nebraska versus Iowa and Creighton versus Wichita State.
I also was really disappointed with the refereeing early in the game (My DVR hasn’t made it to the second half yet). Those early whistles: phantom fouls, head-scratching offensive foul calls and un-whistled swipes (Echinique and McDermott were hammered like finishing nails) – can put a team on their heels and make shooting more desperate. That’s what I was seeing out of Creighton. The Jays were the better team, but playing against three extra guys in zebra outfits makes it a tough day. I found myself rewinding over and over to try to see what the officials were whistling on Creighton – and they must have had some sort of Clark Kent vision – because I sure didn’t see it the way they did, even with the benefit of a five-second button for my DVR.
For a minute there I thought you were talking about NU at Creighton.
Husker Dave says: “playing against three extra guys in zebra outfits makes it a tough day.”
The same could be said for Nebraska when they played the Bluejays and Creighton got all the whistles in it’s favor. That being said, Creighton is a better team than Nebraska, and the officials took over and decided what had the makings of a great game. And no doubt what would have been a nail-biting finish.
Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug.
You do mean that Creighton-St Joes would have been a nail-biting finish, right?
Sam McKewon tweeted that the 2 teams that he thinks would give 95 Nebraska a tough game would be 91 Washington & 01 Miami. Those are the 2 that always spring to mind for me also. LSU’s defense & special teams would give anyone problems, and contribute a lot to their scoring average. We’ll have to wait to see how the title game plays out.
It’s all about how you frame things…
–Three of the ranked teams they beat (going by AP):
#25 Mississippi State – now unranked, 6-6
#17 Florida – now unranked, 6-6
#20 Auburn – now unranked, 7-5
–Against currently ranked teams, Georgia is 0-3; Arkansas is 1-2.
–The Big East Champ they beat is now ranked 23rd, the LSU loss is their only game against a currently ranked team, they have two losses to unranked teams, and are at serious risk of finishing the season unranked (have to beat Clemson).
–Just for the sake of comparison, based on end-of-year rankings, 2010 Auburn had seven wins over ranked teams. LSU is currently at five. If they win, they could end up with anywhere from five to seven on their resume (depends on Auburn and WVU).
I don’t mean to bash LSU’s accomplishments. They’ve had an great season, for sure.
Good points, Michael. For me, what puts it over the top isn’t the wins over WV, Florida, etc. (though those are above-average opponents). It’s the fact that if Arkansas and Oregon win their bowl games (which they should), the final polls would likely look like this:
1. LSU
2. Ok St/Stanford
3. Bama
4. Oregon
5. Arkansas
4 wins over postseason top-5 teams! That would be amazing. Again, they gotta beat Bama again, so this is all hypothetical.
That’s a good point. If things shake out favorably (seven end-of-season top 25 wins, four over the top 5), it’s hard to argue they don’t deserve some consideration. Too bad they didn’t get a crack at Ok St — they’d have an outside shot at a clean sweep of the top five (Stanford would have to lose). Where’s the plus-one when you need it?
Okay, Dirk, but is that all that much better than the 71 Huskers who beat the final 2, 3 and 4 teams! When you say modern era, does that begin in 91 or 71. Come on, when sports writers write they only go back as far as their junior year in college.
I think it would be relevant to look at teams since BCS came about. I don’t think Dirk is taking away from ’71 Huskers, but acknowledging that they played fewer games and there were fewer nationally relevant programs back then…it’s not better-worse, but kind of apples-oranges, in my opinion.
I don’t mean to put words in his mouth…that’s just why I think it’s useful to separate it out.
Arkansas and 5 is pretty laughable. Michael did make some great points. Yours’ not as much. Gotta bring some heavy stats when you want to start talking best ever.
Finally!! A little perspective.
I’m NOT rooting for Tebow
Word. The more the media falls in love with the Tebow, the more I dislike him. It’s like Favre-reincarnated (who I absolutely despise). I would just like to watch one game without hearing about how amazing this dude, who has only started 7 games in his career, is among the all time greats. I’m not a Pat’s fan, but I hope they lay the wood on the Tebows this weekend.
Chuck, I’m rooting FOR Tebow for the same reason you are rooting against him, until the last 3 or 4 weeks, the media, especially ESPN, bashed and ripped Tebow unmercifully, The Herd had a lead in to his show for a year ripping the Broncos for drafting him so early and really being as obnoxiously overboard with their pesonal attacks on him, as they are now with their overdoing it on his succesful run. All of their analysts, who now of course have changed their tunes, dismissed him as never going to have the skills or abilities to succeed in the NFL, a lot of their attacks were personal attacks and I just got tired of it. It’s not Tebow’s fault that they now give him too much exposure, it is a really good story after all, but it is fun to root for a guy who really is a nice guy, and it does reflect poorly on where we are as a society, whether anybody wants to admit it or not, that he gets bashed so much for openly expressing his faith and morality, that is a good thing and should not be considered something that should be hidden from view or a person should just quietly keep to themselves.
Hey Dirk do you know what also is bad news for DOC SADLER ????? he can’t even get a fishwrap journalist from the States largest newspaper to travel with the team and report !!!!! How do you suppose that helps trying to drive recruits to Lincoln when the State’s largest newspaper can’t even afford to send ONE writer with the team ? but I’m pretty sure the OWH will be the first newspaper calling for DOC’s head if the season goes South….. It amazes me the OWH can find the payroll to send 10 journalist to travel to State College, but can’t find the budget to send ONE reporter to Forth Worth / Dallas… how does that help the basketball team ?
Hey Kevin, hate to tell you this, but it isn’t the OWH job to ‘help the basketball team’. I’m guessing that whatever program in the state becomes relevant on a national level will have a reporter there (I.e. Creighton Soccer, UNL VB, etc..). If UNL MBB becomes relevant the press will follow, but it’s not their job to ‘help the team.’
Yeah, I agree with this. My guess is if more people followed Nebraska basketball, more people went to games, NU had made the Big Dance in the last 13 years, won the conference tournament in the last 17, or won a national championship in the last 60…maybe they’d get a reporter traveling to DFW.
Keep in mind: the OWH isn’t a promotional tool for the university — it’s a business. And if there were demand for more hoops coverage, it would be in the OWH’s best interest to fill it. It doesn’t look like that’s the case.
JD….well then if it isn’t relevant then don’t report on it at all ? if it isn’t relevant don’t report on their home games, if it isn’t revelent then I don’t want to hear ONE person complain about the losses, or the inability to draw recruits to the team. And I really disagree with the statement that the newspaper doesn’t help with recruiting, heck everyday the OWH or 24/7 is talking to a Fball recruit isn’t that relevence ? IF NOT WHY DO THEY DO IT ? Finally UNL VB, or Cregihton soccer I really couldn’t tell you how either of those teams did, because I’m not interested in it, but at least I had a right to read it or not, give the MBB the same coverage, or I don’t want to hear any of these clowns try to stur up the pot on DOC give him the same advantage u give the other major sports.
The point isn’t that getting print doesn’t help with recruiting or whatever. The point is that the OWH doesn’t exist as a promotional tool.
Yeah, my high school garage band would probably have sold a couple more CDs if Rolling Stone had done a write-up on our Summer 2002 tour of the Ranch Bowl, but that’s not their job. Their job, like the OWH, is to write about what people want to read.
So Micheal again then don’t complain about the performance of the team, or the coaching staff. I also shouldn’t hear Dirk calling for Doc’s job if the season goes south, cuz they ain’t relevent…. and have NEVER been relevent…
Kevin,
I don’t think people are complaining. I think they are making fun of you and Husker Hoops.
They’re clearly relevant to some (like you). You haven’t heard me complain about the coaching staff, nor will you ever — I’m not invested. I just don’t see how it’s the OWH’s fault that the team doesn’t have enough fans to justify more resources…
Miss the Ranch Bowl :(
2001 Miami should not even be in the conversation of best CFB teams. They were very, very lucky to beat Boston College, and the only top-10 team the Hurricanes played was Nebraska.
They’re kind of the exact opposite of LSU. 2001 Miami passes the eyeball test but doesn’t have the killer resume; 2011 LSU has the resume, but doesn’t look like a “best ever” (mostly on offense…that defense is amazing, though).
Look, i’m as much of a NU homer as anyone, but if ANY of you were in attendance to watch Miami vs NU in the Rose Bowl (like I was), you would change your stance on Miami. How many people did Miami have on that team that went pro in the first few rounds? So they had a close game with Boston College, but Ed Reed, Jonathan Vilma, Jeremy Schockey, Phil Buchannan, Andre Johnson, Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, Najeh Davenport, Ken Dorsey, Vince Wilfork, Kellen Winslow, Frank Gore, Sean Taylor…and the list goes on. It was not even close the talent level we put on the field vs. what they had. They beat us 37 – 14 and if they had wanted to, they could have hung 80 on us. They got bored in the 2nd half (they were all hanging around Shaquille O’Neal who was on their sideline) and lost complete interest in the game. They could have done to us what we did to Florida in 1996.
I was defending Miami…I think they deserve consideration.
That’s always the first (and really only) argument people use with 01 miami is their draft picks. Like michael said, great on paper but means very little. There best player, Dorsey, is about the only one that didn’t go pro. I don’t think anyone really expected us to be competitive in that game. We were no where near the team that year that 95′ Florida was.
As one of Bo’s hated Husker fans, I’d like to say this; The Husker coaching staff just lost one of it’s best recruiters. If the DC is hired from within, then the future is as if Solich were still here. Whats with the recruiting? Other programs appear to be picking up steam and our recruits (very few in number as it is) are looking elsewhere! Why in blazes would a kid got visit ND? If we lose a recruiting war to them, to me thats hard evidence that we’re not highly thought of at all. Looks like the days of bringing in top recruits is over and so is any hope of conference titles, let alone a bid for a NC. I have a friend who has a kid who is about 5′ 9” tall, runs a 4.6 forty, isn’t real physical, but talks a good game with the media around, he could be our next walk-on free safety! A once mighty program is now an after-thought. So sad. PS- Remember how getting a guy like Comptom was such a huge get? Not so much! Osborne and Co. could do it. Time to find another who can!
Maybe you should wait until after signing day to start freaking out. Stuff like this happens ever year, to every program. You realize that we have commits in this class that were previously committed to other schools, right? We have a number of others that are/were committed to other schools but are now considering us. Everybody has to deal with recruits changing their minds. It’s not unique to or worse at NU.
LSU can be in the conversation of best of all time as long as the conversation goes like this:
“What about LSU?”
“Nah. No way.”
You said it yourself: LSU has an average offense. That is not an ingredient in the best team of all time. We can’t give LSU consideration just because of a scheduling coincidence. Yes, the happen to have a bunch of highly rated teams on their schedule. But does that fact make them better than the ’95 Huskers, ’01 Hurricanes, or even the ’71 Huskers? Maybe (likely?) those teams would have also survived such a schedule.
Look at it this way. Both ’11 LSU and ’95 Nebraska played the consensus No. 2 team. LSU won by 3 in overtime. Nebraska won by 38.
Also, you give too much credit to where teams were ranked at the time of the game. What difference does that make? You know a lot more about how good a team is at the end of the season. It’s not like Auburn, Flordia and Mississippi State were knocked out of the AP poll just because they lost to LSU. They fell out because they lost to LSU and five other teams (three other teams in Auburn’s case). Those three teams aren’t even receiving AP votes any more. Who cares that they were overrated at the time LSU played them?
So looking at final polls (obviously not including bowls for ’11 season): ’95 Nebraska beat four top ten teams: 2, 5, 7 , 9. ’11 LSU beat three: 2, 6, 7, as well as 18 and 23. So LSU beat one more rated team, but I’m sure ’95 Nebraska would have smashed the No. 23 team in ’95 had they appeared on the schedule.
The average ranking of ’95 Nebraska’s four top ten opponents: 5.75. Of LSU’s three: 5.0
Average victory margin over top ten opponents: ’95 NU 30.75 ’11 LSU: 13.3
LSU is going to have to beat Alabama by 84 points in the championship game to equal Nebraska’s victory margin.
‘Nuff said.
I have an anti-SEC bias, but I do think Dirk is over the top with LSU “best of all time” comparison. The elite teams of yore, were much better than today’s elite. Yes, the bottom teams are better, but the top are not. Welcome to parity.
Regarding Tebow, I like rooting for him and am enjoyin this ride. However, I use the same argument I use about Elway when talking about the comebacks. The reason he has so many comback opportunities is because he is partly the reason the team is behind in the first place. Compare that to a Joe Montana/Aaron Rodgers who rarely had/has to worry about coming from behind.
The 1995 Huskers are still the best all around college football team I ever saw. They could do it all.
Tough road loss for Jays. 29-9 in FT shooting attempts never helps, but they need to learn how to play over that. They will be fine.
Heisman Trophy = zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I love what Tebow is doing. Sure, he gets the press, but the guy has been a winner at every level of football and he isn’t some idiot with a bunch of tatoos taunting people.
Dirk,
Keep up the great work. When do you think we mioght see new football uniforms on this Husker team. Many teams have gone to new looks…even traditionalist like the Gold Dommers, MeatChicken, MeatChicken State and Tat State (OSU) with their Tron look. What’s up with the Huskers is Coach T too old school for that?
sam apparently you don’t read the blogs very often…. but thanks for you’r input
And jennifer aniston is the sexiest woman ever…what? Who voted on that a bunch of hairdressers? Ill take Veronica Lake. And any Army team from the 40s could bet LSU. Did I forget to wear pants again? Who won the heisman? I voted for Staubach.
Notre Dame would beat LSU by 40. We should get a BCS bowl every year. Why do I sound like donald duck but look like granny clampett?
Dirk,
With regard to the best college football team of all time, I agree with comments earlier that it is MUCH more important to consider the quality of a teams schedule based on how the teams on their schedule finished rather than where they were at the time they played them. For instance, beating Texas A&M at the beginning of the season looked a lot better then than it does now. I don’t think any team can hold a candle to the ’71 Huskers record of having beat OU, CU & Bama (#2,3&4 ranked teams in the final polls).