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

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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.

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I agree and there are some similarities between Arnsparger/Archer and Saban/Miles and difference. Arnsparger was an NFL guy, 58 years old when he took the LSU job but really put in a foundation with NFL organization, etc in his 3 years at LSU. That momentum lasted over to the 87 season somewhat to 88, but by 89-90, 2 straight loosing seasons. Saban did the same thing, but was 10 years younger and loved to recruit, left a foundation and Miles followed it and did keep it going for a long time, talent wise never really dropped off, but of course failure to adapt and change.

People my age (50's) remember the post Arnsparger era and what it led to. Yes, things are different but what if Arnsparger had coached say 10 years at LSU, rather than 3? and Brodhead with all his personality flaws, could have got the program improvements in facilities and academics 10 years earlier,

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I think that’s a fair statement. For a guy who many claim didn’t want to recruit, Bill sure did leave a loaded roster didn’t he?

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The story back then that when it came to HC recruiting it was his wife that was the one that won the kids over.

No, it was his final season at Tulane, but he was there for a few seasons. He went 1-10 in first year at both Tulane & UNC.

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Arnsparger did the reverse of what a Saban did.... he wanted to give the college football thing a try.... just like Saban wanted to give the NFL a try......Saban found out real quick that the control he had always had went away real fast..... no way Arsnpager would have stayed 10 years.....

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Well we know that in hindsight, my point was what if he had coached for 10 years at LSU. He actually got out of coaching all together after 3 years at LSU, and got into the AD side of Sports. He was only 61 after completing 3 years at LSU, which is 8 years younger than Nick Saban now.

If Arnsparger does stay for 10 years, is the LSU job post Arnsparger one that doesn't result in a Archer/Hallman/DiNardo succession of coaches. It is more like Saban/Miles/O, where we are 2SEC-1NC/2SEC-1NC/1SEC-1NC in this current 3 coach stretch.

Actually, my memory serves me quite well. The link below is a video of the game without timeouts. Skip to the 2:06 mark and you'll see that #13, Hodson, is in fact the starting quarterback:

1987 Ohio St vs. LSU

1987 Mike Archer playbook:

1st down: Harvey left
2nd down: Harvey right
3rd down: Harvey up the middle

PUNT

Eric Andolsek was the biggest, baddest dude I've ever seen. He was tragically killed while cutting his grass on Hwy 1 by an 18 wheeler.

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Mack also took UNC from 2-10 in 2018 to 7-6 last season and Texas from 4-7 in 1997 to 9-3 in 98. He has his flaws and probably got lazy at Texas, but if you need a turnaround, he's your guy historically. Always liked ol Mack

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Agreed... Only thing stopping Mack is THIS season......

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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.

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Hodson was the one that threw the interception late in the 4th on the goal line. A FG there likely wins it.

I am a big Tom Hodson fan, but that was a bad pass.

GEAUX TIGERS

I was referring to early on in the game. We had I believe, a 10-0 lead and Hodson was in a groove. Archer took Hodson out at a time when he was in a rhythm. I believe had we stayed with Hodson, we could have built a lead that OSU could not overcome.