re: Most Underrated LSU Football Wins

That MSU win was absolutely pivotal regarding the direction of the program. LSU could have folded like we were accustomed to seeing for years before that game. Saban and the team showed the grit that was so sorely missing and set the stage for the program going forward.

2001 LSU vs Arkansas. One of my favorite LSU games of all time. Was watching it in a hotel in Cancun Mexico. We were losing so we started a plan to jump in the hotel pool after every touchdown LSU scored. Ended up winning the game. Still one of my best memories.

Maybe not "underrated" in the traditional sense, but the 2005 beat down of Miami doesn't get the appreciation it should.

We won a natty in 2003, but we weren't yet considered a true national power. People challenged that (the USC co-champ), then the drop off in 2004 (most losses by a defending champ in years), then Saban left. Many thought it was going to revert.
And Miami was still "The U".

When we beat the frick out of them both on and off the field, it set off shockwaves in CFB. LSU was now officially a national force to be reckoned with

Perspective is funny, because Auburn calls that the best loss in their history. To hear them tell it, that loss propelled them to the championship game and to everything that was achieved after that . . . including the arse whipping they gave us the next year.

That was LSU's best win in an otherwise awful season. Troy was bad enough but the post-Troy phase, a blowout loss to Ole Miss and an upset last-minute loss at a two-win Arkansas team were just sickening

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Burrow still would have come to LSU because he was a largely unknown and totally unproven QB looking for a place to start with VERY limited options at which to do so.

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You should read up on just how close Burrow was to not coming here.

Coach O deserves all the credit for never letting up and not taking no for an answer.

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You should read up on just how close Burrow was to not coming here.

Coach O deserves all the credit for never letting up and not taking no for an answer

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Joe was going to Cincinnati, initially, because of familiarity and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, he didn't have many other options to go to a place where he would be basically guaranteed to start. This wasn't the days of unlimited transfers and immediate eligibility. His recruitment was in May. By that time just about every major conf. program had their rosters set. Joe was leaving a Big 10 school. If he really wanted to go to Cincinnati he never would have considered LSU. The reality is he was smart enough to know SEC >AAC. Particularly an AAC school that had just gone 4-8.

A power conf. school where he would essentially be guaranteed to start right away wasn't an option wasn't initially available to him until LSU joined the mix late. Once LSU entered the mix it was and O basically promised him the starting job it was a pretty easy decision. A guy leaving a Big 10 power is not turning down the starting job at an SEC power to go to a 4-8 team in a second tier conference.

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Is that the game Hookfin earned his label as burnt toast or am I thinking of a different game?

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a couple years after this game, Hoofkin had a pretty good night (against South Carolina maybe).
I called in to the post game show asking "hey, who was actually wearing 33 tonight, because there's no way that was Hookfin"

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2000 Tennessee gets a lot of love coming off of the loss to UAB the week before and starting to right the ship...

Later in the season though the home game against Miss State gets forgotten. Unranked LSU hosting #13 MSU.

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2 great games as us older, but not geriatric old, were yearning for our national relevance since i was born in the early 70's. had those games on VCR tapes for many years. that was when our fanbase was rabid and desperate.

Still have some dirt from the field in a ziploc bag.