re: LSU Football In 1969. Why Did We Not Play For The NC?

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Not true. Bama got screwed in 66 and again to a lesser degree in 78.

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I’ve heard that Bama got screwed in 1966. I live in the Mobile area and they are still salty about it over here.

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My mom was in the Texas Band and went to that game. She said the hate was real. In her years as a student Arkansas was the #1 rival, followed by OU.

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That hate is real. I always thought it was OU, Texas A&M, then Arkansas for Texas fans. On the flip side Arkansas fans still despise Texas to this day. It was Texas and everyone else when they were in the Southwest Conference. Texas beat Arkansas 3 out of every 4 games. I believe UT looked at them as the 3rd team in the we can’t stand pecking order. Arkansas despises LSU. The problem is we have more of a dislike for Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and Ole Miss.

You are correct that Arkansas hate for UT is real. I lived in Little Rock back in the 1990’s and they really don’t like Texas whatsoever.

I’d love to have one of those 1969 helmets. They’re badass.

LSU had an inordinately weak schedule in 1969. Their first three opponents, Texas A&M, Rice and Baylor, finished #'s 6, 7 and 8 respectively, in the 8 team SWC. They played at Miami the 4th game (20-0 win), but Miami wasn't strong that year, finishing 4-6.

The Tigers' SEC opponents (except two) had off seasons as well. Kentucky, with a new head coach John Ray, was 2-8 (1-5 SEC). Auburn was 8-3 (4-2 SEC). Ole Miss finished 8-3 overall, 4-2 SEC. Alabama had a subpar year under the Bear, finishing only 6-5 (2-4 SEC). Miss. St was 3-7 overall and 0-6 SEC. Tulane was 3-7 overall.

So LSU in 1969 played essentially 6 cupcakes, 1 slightly worse-than-average, 1 slightly better-than-average and 2 legitimately good opponents. Not NC game material IMO.

It wasn't the Tigers' fault the schedule was weak. Some of these teams (Alabama, A&M and Miami) had winning seasons in recent years, but were just off in '69.

The helmet Capone poses with in that photo is not the 1969 helmet. LSU wore helmets on the numbers then. LSU wore that helmet in the photo from 1972-76.

Also, Capone was not on the 1969 team. He graduated from Catholic in 1970.

1969 there was no ESPN

Two names:

Ara Parseghian
Darrell K. Royal

Better TV viewing even back in 1969
You had the big Texas markets and with Notre Dame you got a national audience.

Who was LSU back then?

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LSU won the SEC in 1869

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1869?

A year later we played ND for the first time...3-0. Best game I ever saw. Chicago Tribune said if Nd is #1, then LSU is 1A. Theisman, Jones, Cassanova, Capone. It was real football!!

First, that game was not for all the marbles. In that era it was just polls. Undefeated Penn State would have had the best claim and would most likely been chosen if we had played and won.

The game that was closest to being for all the marbles was the TX/Ark game at the end of the season. You know one of those games of the century between two undefeated powerhouses. This was the game where Nixon proclaimed TX national champion after their 15-14 victory, and knocked Penn State out of the conversation.

Ultimately, we didn't play because the Cotton Bowl made a business decision we didn't like. The only thing that could have effected a different result is if we were undefeated. Archie was one of the greatest dual threat qbs in college history. On that day that great defense just couldn't handle him.