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Revisiting 2011 - Would Arkansas have played LSU in the title game if...?
Posted on 9/23/21 at 9:28 am
Posted on 9/23/21 at 9:28 am
Imagine a world where Arkansas doesn't leave the Big 12, but otherwise fields the same 2011 team.
A team that finished top 5 and had two losses - to the #1 and #2 teams.
A team that achieved a strong win over #10 Kansas State in their bowl, winning by 3 more points than OSU did (no, I'm not a fan of transitive property, but this is their only common opponent).
The question is - do you think Arkansas runs the table in the Big 12 and ends up playing LSU in the title game?
A team that finished top 5 and had two losses - to the #1 and #2 teams.
A team that achieved a strong win over #10 Kansas State in their bowl, winning by 3 more points than OSU did (no, I'm not a fan of transitive property, but this is their only common opponent).
The question is - do you think Arkansas runs the table in the Big 12 and ends up playing LSU in the title game?
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Posted on 9/23/21 at 9:31 am to skrayper
Ban
Posted on 9/23/21 at 9:40 am to skrayper
quote:
The question is - do you think Arkansas runs the table in the Big 12 and ends up playing LSU in the title game?
No, I don’t think they run the table in 2011.
They barely beat a 4-5 A&M team 42–38.
Oklahoma State was really good that year.
Brandon Weeden
Julius Randle
Justin Blackmon
That’s a nice trio right there.. Blackmon was a beast in college..
Either way, I don’t think they end up undefeated..
A better argument would be the 2012 Aggies.. but i’m not sure they even make the Championship with an undefeated Alabama and Notre Dame.
Can you imagine the melt if the Aggies had gone undefeated in 2012 and missed the Championship game? They would for sure add that one to the wall..
Posted on 9/23/21 at 9:41 am to skrayper
quote:
The question is - do you think Arkansas runs the table in the Big 12 and ends up playing LSU in the title game?
Oklahoma State won the Big 12 and should have played LSU in the title game, but Mulligan U. played instead, splitting the season series 1-1.
Posted on 9/23/21 at 10:16 am to skrayper
If SEC leading rusher in Knile Davis of the year before wasn't gone for year because of injury then they had a better chance of beating LSU. The Arkansas running game in 2011 was very average which made them rely a bit more on the passing game.
Posted on 9/23/21 at 10:18 am to skrayper
quote:
Imagine a world where Arkansas doesn't leave the Big 12
I can easily do that. You’re currently living in that world.
Posted on 9/23/21 at 10:21 am to skrayper
Sure, I mean they had dat wood.
ETA: my bad. that was 2007.
ETA: my bad. that was 2007.
This post was edited on 9/23/21 at 10:22 am
Posted on 9/23/21 at 10:39 am to skrayper
quote:
Imagine a world where Arkansas doesn't leave the Big 12
So, let’s have a talk about college football history…
Posted on 9/23/21 at 10:42 am to skrayper
quote:
Imagine a world where Arkansas doesn't leave the Big 12
First, I would need to imagine a world where Arkansas joined the Big 12.
Posted on 9/23/21 at 10:53 am to skrayper
2011 VT only lost to Clemson twice before bowl season - once in the reg season and once in the ACC CG. Tyrod Taylor exhausted his eligibility the year before and Logan Thomas was the QB that year. If LSU doesn't make VT break Tyrod's redshirt in 07 (Glennon still played a lot the rest of that season) then Tyrod would have been the QB in 2011, and maybe they are able to beat Clemson and get to play LSU in the title game.
Posted on 9/23/21 at 11:05 am to BigBro
quote:
They barely beat a 4-5 A&M team 42–38.
I mean even Alabama has close calls every once in a while, not every game is going to be a blowout. 2009 Alabama won it all and barely escaped against Tennessee on a blocked field goal.
Us against OSU would have been a good game. Firmly believe we had the best WR unit in college football back in those days. Greg Childs was on track to match Julio and Alshon Jeffrey in production in 2010 before suffering a devastating knee injury and was never the same.
Posted on 9/23/21 at 11:06 am to skrayper
Yes. And then 2011 LSU goes down as 2nd best team ever. Behind 2019 LSU
Posted on 9/23/21 at 11:09 am to skrayper
quote:
do you think Arkansas runs the table in the Big 12
maybe. They did struggle to beat 2-10 Ole Miss, 6-7 Vanderbilt, and Troy. They were a good team, but there were teams in the Big 12 capable of beating them. The only team they beat in the regular season who finished the year ranked was South Carolina. They lost to Alabama and LSU by 24 points that year.
This post was edited on 9/23/21 at 11:17 am
Posted on 9/23/21 at 11:14 am to Solo Cam
Tyler Wilson was nearly put in a body bag in the BAMA game. He just wasn't all that impressive to lead anyone to the promised land. Ryan Mallett more so.
Posted on 9/23/21 at 11:16 am to BigBro
quote:
Oklahoma State was really good that year.
So good in fact they lost to Iowa State
Posted on 9/23/21 at 11:22 am to lsufball19
Arkansas went into the 2011 year without Knile Davis. That was the missing piece to that offense. The 2011 team with Knile Davis would win the Big 12.
Posted on 9/23/21 at 11:23 am to bamameister
He was good enough but Mallet was better.
Posted on 9/23/21 at 11:25 am to dchog
quote:
He was good enough but Mallet was better.
Not my eye test. Petrino really struggled against elite teams with his offensive concepts, so long shot on both.
Posted on 9/23/21 at 11:25 am to BigBro
Arkansas played against the Aggies with key starters out on defense. Those games will usually be close regardless of who is ranked.
Posted on 9/23/21 at 11:27 am to dchog
quote:
Arkansas went into the 2011 year without Knile Davis. That was the missing piece to that offense. The 2011 team with Knile Davis would win the Big 12.
I'd still say maybe. Arkansas had one of the worst defenses in the SEC in 2011. Oklahoma St and Baylor with RGIII would have given Arkansas a lot of trouble with or without Knile Davis, and so would have Oklahoma. A&M gave the Arkansas defense fits and they weren't even very good in 2011.
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