The past 3 seasons.....

Since coming out of our low point in the 08-09 seasons, LSU is 34-6 with 1 SEC title and 1 NCG appearance. 1-2 bowl game record. LSU's 6 losses in this span came to teams with SIX LOSSES COMBINED. 5-3 against the other top programs.

Alabama, undisputedly the best program in the country led by the best coach in the country, is 35-5, with 1 SEC title and 2 NCG wins. 3-0 bowl game record. 5 losses came to teams with 10 losses combined. 2-3 against the other top programs.

Oregon, another top echelon program under the coach that many would consider the second best coach in the country, is 36-4 with 2 Pac 12 titles and 1 NCG appearance. 2-1 bowl game record. 4 losses came to teams with FIVE losses combined. 2-2 against the other top programs.

Stanford is arguably the next best program in that time period, is 35-5, 1 Pac 12 title. 2-1 bowl record. 4 losses to teams with eleven losses. 1-3 against the other top programs.

South Carolina, led by one of the most respected coaches of all time, is 31-9, 1 SECCG loss. 2-1 bowl record. 1-1 against other top programs.

Oklahoma, led by a well respected coach with 1 national title and 4 NCG appearances, was 32-8 with 1 Big 12 title. 2-1 bowl record. 2-1 against other top programs.

Oklahoma State, who did not receive a BCSCG invite in 2011, was 31-8. 1 Big 12 title. 3-0 bowl record. 3-2 against the other top programs.

Ohio State, led by 3 different coaches the past 3 years, 2 of which have won a combined 3 NCs in 5 NCG appearances, is 30-8, 1 Big 10 title (ineligible in 2012) 1-1 bowl record. Has not played any other top programs.

If I'm leaving another program off with more wins, please let me know. I went through Georgia, Florida, Florida State, Clemson, and none of them would top 30 wins the past 3 seasons.

Now obviously, Alabama also had their best season of 14-0 in 2009, but this is an LSU thread, trying to evaluate where WE are since we rebooted after JL and JJs first years as starters. That is why I chose the past 3 years as the sample to look at.

The other big complaint will be, obviously, that you can't compare the SEC records to other conferences, which is also why I left out Boise State who is 35-4 in a non-BCS conference in that span, but we're just looking at overall record. Even records within the SEC aren't necessarily created equal.

This year, with 6 SEC teams winning double digit games, the top teams played each other to the following records:

LSU: 2-2 (missed Georgia)
Bama: 2-1 (missed Florida, SC, and Georgia regular season)
A&M: 1-2 (missed Georgia, SC)
UGA: 1-2 (missed LSU, A&M, and Bama regular season)
FL: 3-1 (missed Bama)
SC: 1-2 (missed Bama, A&M)

Notably, Georgia and Bama, the only two teams that played only 2 of the big 6 during the regular season were the teams that made it to Atlanta for the SECCG.

Now obviously, LSU has struggled offensively more than the other teams on this list, which has led to increasing frustration among the fans and probably a lack of respect among the media and the main reason that our success has not been as celebrated as some of the other teams on the list.

Of course, several of the other teams in this list have struggled mightily on the DEFENSIVE side of the ball, while LSU has thrived. LSU will lose 6 of 11 starters on defense next season, however, so the offense will certainly have to improve on offense to keep pace with the other top programs.

LSU is 2-2 against Alabama (would have been 2-1 if not for an unfortunate postseason rematch), and 1-0 against Oregon, South Carolina, and Georgia, giving LSU a 5-2 record against the top teams in the country.

Alabama is 2-3, Oklahoma State is 3-2, Oklahoma is 2-1, Oregon is 2-2, Stanford is 1-3, South Carolina is 1-1. Ohio State has not played any of the others.

The most troubling aspect would be LSU is the only team on the list with a losing bowl record. With a convincing win over Texas A&M and a 1 point walk off FG loss to 11 win Clemson, the biggest standout, of course, was the performance on 1/9 against the current dynasty, and that is the game that colors the entire 3 year period.

The performance was inexcusable, despite the fact that LSU had already beaten Alabama on the road seemingly earning the right to play the best team from another conference to continue the SEC's streak of national titles.

However, it is good to know that LSU is still near the top of the college football world.

Our coach is coming off of the second 34 game winning 3 year period of his tenure at LSU, and is 2-2 against the current dynasty of college football world in that time span.

Again, LSU's 6 losses in this span came to teams with SIX LOSSES COMBINED, all of which came to teams winning at least 10 games, 3 of which went on to win the national title, and 5 played in a BCS bowl, the sixth being 11 win Clemson.

With perhaps the best recruiting class in the program's history coming in, LSU is set to continue winning for years to come.