The Golden Age of LSU Football - When did it start/end?

We've all heard this phrase. Since the beginning of the century (or a little thereafter), LSU football has been regarded as one of the elite programs in the nation. Between the tenures of Saban and Miles, LSU has reached and sustained excellence to a level never before seen at the school. The consistency, overall, has been pretty remarkable.

Do you believe this period of LSU football is over? If you do, pick two games for the starting and ending point. Obviously, I'm sure a lot of people will pick 1/9 for their ending point, but that's not mine.

Or were the last couple of seasons just a lull, and the Golden Age is still going strong?

You can/should obviously use hindsight when forming your opinion.


Start: December 1, 2001
LSU 27 Auburn 14

Game was rescheduled to later in the season because of the 9/11 attacks in New York. It set up a mini-playoff, as the Auburn/LSU winner would take on the Tennessee/Florida winner in the Georgia Dome for the SEC title.

As I'm sure you remember, Auburn players stomped on the eye before the game. Big mistake. Even though I was pretty young, this was one of the wildest atmospheres I've ever seen in Tiger Stadium, and I'm sure what Auburn did only added to it.

Auburn was assessed a 15-yard penalty, we recovered the ensuing onside kick, and LSU really never looked back. Josh Reed had an amazing game, per usual that season. We dominated them.

Box Score

Since all of rnolan's stuff got deleted on YouTube, I can't find any good footage of that game. Here's a crappy LINK to some highlights of that game.

A close second for me was the Georgia game in 2003. But since we won the SEC and Sugar Bowl in 2001, I figured that would be too late.


End: November 3, 2012
Alabama 21 LSU 17

As I said, many people would consider 1/9 the knockout blow for LSU, but I think this game hurt even more.

Ever since the BCS Championship Game, this was the one that everyone was pointing towards. I'm sure the LSU players worked all offseason with that game in mind, as we had many guys returning from the 2011 team. We were going to prove to them that the title game the year before was somewhat of a fluke, and that we could go toe-to-toe with them.

We did all of that. The stadium was so energized. I'll never forget the team running towards the student section at the end of the 3rd quarter after the long play to J.C. Copeland (of all people, LINK). Probably my favorite LSU football moment in Tiger Stadium as a student. We dominated the second half and outplayed them unquestionably; and then Alabama stole it back in a handful of plays at the end. I've never seen the air sucked out of the stadium so quickly. Not like that. I think there was about 50 seconds left on the clock, but there was no chance we were scoring.

For me, that was the night (play) that it ended.