re: Ok so this really happened in 2007

The 07 LSU-Arkansas games is one of my favorites off all time. Nutt's last game as coach. McFadden and Felix Jones' last games as Razorbacks.

2007 unusual #2 ranked teams:

California - ranked #2 at a record of 5-0; notable OOC win against SEC East champion Tennessee. Finished season 7-6. Notable players: DeSean Jackson and Alex Mack.

South Florida - ranked #2 at a record of 6-0; notable OOC won over top 15 Auburn. Finished season 9-4.

Kansas - ranked #2 at a record of 11-0. Finished season at 12-1 winning Orange Bowl over #5 Virginia Tech. Notable player: Aqib Talib.

Boston College - ranked #2 at a record of 8-0. Finished season 11-3. Notable players - BJ Raji and Matt Ryan.

West Virginia - ranked #2 (#1 in Coaches) with a record of 10-1. Finished season at 11-2. Throttled Big 12 champion Oklahoma (responsible for Mizzou's only losses) in the Fiesta Bowl. Notable players - Steve Slaton, Owen Schmitt, Noel Devine, Pat White

Although not #2, Missouri for the first time since their undefeated 1960 season would achieve the #1 ranking in the BCS going into the final weekend.

Conference Championship/final regular season weekend saw potential BCS Championship participants, #1 Missouri and #2 West Virginia lose.

Other notable games (some listed, not all):

although the Stanford we know today didn't start their winning ways until 2009, they were noted for an upset win over #2 USC in Los Angeles. Harbaugh was the coach.

Kansas annihilating Nebraska (usually the other way around), 76-39.

Rose Bowl participant Illinois defeating BCSNCG participant Ohio State. Missouri defeated Illinois OOC.

2-time defending FCS champion Appalachian State upsets #5 Michigan in the Big House. That same Michigan team would defeat Florida (led by Heisman winner Tim Tebow) in the Citrus Bowl.

The Border War aka the Big 12 North Championship - #4 Missouri (10-1) defeats #2 Kansas (11-0). Winner was guaranteed the BCS #1 position.

#17 Kentucky defeats #1 LSU

Arkansas defeats #1 LSU

Several 2-loss teams had legitimate arguments to face Ohio State for the national championship: LSU, Oklahoma, Georgia, USC, Kansas (1 loss).

After all the chaos, it only seemed fitting LSU got the invite; after all they started the season #2.

My Top 5 for the end of the 2007 season, again just my opinion:

1. Missouri
2. LSU
3. Georgia
4. USC
5. West Virginia

But LSU was a deserving champion. I think they had some players that were also on the 2003 Saban coached team.


Anyways, 2007 was the best, most chaotic season ever!

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Having Richt playing nice guy and not lobbying for us to be in the title game, the exact opposite thing Saban did in 2011, I'm sure was another factor. I Remember '07, we didn't win our division so how could we possibly be in the title game?

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Didn't Tennessee beat hall by 20 that year?

Overtime isn't a mythical time, neither is the beginning of the season. LSU played a tougher schedule and lost in triple overtime twice. Georgia got raped by Tennessee. The same team LSU beat in the SEC championship.

Georgia was suffering from the youth of 2006.

There was a run of games from 2006 to 2007 where UGA lost to every team in the East consecutively. The only reason Richt kept his job is that those kids grew up.

By seasons end, the defense was nasty, and we had a dominant running game with Moreno and Brown. We were the team that no one wanted to face.

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My favorite comeback on a 2-loss BCS champion: "LSU was unbeaten in regulation."

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I just use "BCS Champs, don't care"

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I wouldn't call a 3-5 conference record the mark of a good football team.

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Tenner went to 4 OT's
Florida went all the way to the end

If both went the other way you have a much different history

Bigger issue was UK beat 2 Top 10 teams that season and 4 of their losses were to Top 20 teams. Only other loss was State and that was their west rival. If they get the UT and UF wins they finish a game behind SEC east champion UGA that season. Finishing #2 in the east is not great but certainly better than decent. Finishing #2 in the east in 07 put UGA in the Sugar Bowl.

People complained about LSU in the championship game. Virginia Tech, for one thought it was more worthy. Georgia, on the basis that "they were playing the best football of any team in the country". And John Feinstein wondered why HAWAII, at 12-0, was not in the Championship Game.

We were
6-0 against the final top 15 teams. No other team could claim that at the end of the season

there really is no way to separate the top 6 teams. Would have taken an 8 team playoff to determine the champion that year. it's also likely that if they played round robin the best anyone would have done is 4-1 or even 3-2.

2007 was an odd year

Top 15 SC beat top 10 UK at one point.

We were 6-1, top 10, lost to Vandy and finished 6-6.