re: LSU Fans Still Talking About Arkansas Rivalry

Most of the Arkansas/LSU games were played before 1956. At that time, LSU had played Arkansas 12 times more then they had played Texas A&M. I believe Jack Mitchell, who only coached Arkansas for 2 years, refused to renew the series after the last game. From 1957-1991, which were the best years in Arkansas football history, the teams only met once, with LSU winning and denying Arkansas the 1965 national championship by doing so.

I'm not young, but I'm too young to remember any of that. When we joined the SEC, I didn't realize we had ever played LSU and thought they were a basketball school. I can remember thinking how humiliating it must have been for Texas A&M to lose to LSU in the eighties, because the Tigers seemed so beneath them.

So, I don't really care if LSU fans consider it a rivalry or not, because I, too, think the whole setup is odd. I know Bazzel meant well, but LSU fans are kidding themselves if they don't think he has a personal stake in his ridiculous boot trophy.

However, I do think many Arkansas fans felt a need for a rival after joining the SEC, so we'd have something to replace our yearly hate-fest with Texas, and I've never minded watching that displaced hate being taken out on LSU every year.