re: 1987 LSU football...How close do you think they were to winning a national title?

What I remember about '87 Ohio State is Earle Bruce being a massive prick before and after the game.

He refused to run his team onto the field until after LSU ran out, and he bitched about the refs and the clock at the end of the game (blocked FG).

We tied Ohio State that year. Archer took out Hodson for Guidry with the lead. I believe we would have won if Hodson stayed in. We lost to Alabama with half of our defense out hurt--we had no chance. When they were healed for the Gator Bowl against South Carolina, we mauled them. What could have been a great undefeated season!

My god those end zones

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They were second tier talent back then. Had excellent skill position players but lacked real talent and depth across the lines of scrimmage.

A lot of luck would have to have been had to win it all.

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I remember that 87 team, it was a lot more talented than people give it credit for. OU and Miami played for the NC, and Miami won it all. They were indeed elite talent, the 87 Miami Team over the next 3 NFL drafts would have 28 NFL picks, including 6 1st rounders, 2 of which would go on to be NFL HOF (Mike Irvin and Cortez Kennedy who I think Coach O said might have been among the 1 or 2 best DL he has ever coached).

OU would have 20 NFL picks over the next 3 drafts, but they were still running Barry Switzers Wishbone. The Big 8 back then was a 2 team race, OU an Nebraska so OU had 6 basic lay up games in league play. Texas in the late 80's was horrible, David McWilliams coached them they lost to OU 44-9 and went 6-5 in regular season play.

LSU would have 21 players in the next 3 NFL drafts (I Included Harvey Williams who sat out 88 because of knee injury after rushing for 1,000 yards in 1987). He was drafted 1st round in the 1991 draft. LSU would have 3 first rounders over those drafts, Wendell Davis, Eric Hill and Williams.

LSU probably had top 5 talent that year no doubt, maybe top 2 or 3. I still don't think they had enough to beat Miami that year had they played them unless Miami played the way they did vs. Penn State the year before after the 1986 season. Also, I think LSU still did not have that "it factor" in the program like it does now back then. Probably some doubt that can we really win it all.?

There was lots of talent on that 1987 team.

Bo Pelini was #48 in that game as safety for OSU - see 3:42 mark

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Still remember Nebraska pushing us around in those two Sugar Bowls in that era.

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yep. we lost in the trenches both those games. nebraska was a football mill back then. corn fed beasts. we only had two guys on the whole team who could bench over 400 on that 87 team. nacho and andolsek. both could do 465 and up.

Nacho and Andolsek

I am fond of “Dr Joe” but Big E was the star regardless of accolades.

That team was darn good. But we were not going to beat Miami or Oklahoma that year. We were actually the third most talented team that year just behind those two. A healthy Tommy Hodson and we beat Bama to go undefeated with one tie and an outright SEC title. That Ohio State game should have been a win. With a better HC we would have won. Archer showed signs that he was not cut out to be a long term SEC coach that day.

Yep. Mack Brown was Tulane's coach and they had an athlete at QB in Terence Jones who gave the Tigers D fits.

This is what happens when there is no live sports.