Looking at Past, Not Hard to See Why LSU Rivalry Game for Hogs

How Tigers have really ruined Razorbacks getting trophies that mean more than a boot

Arkansas Razorbacks tailback Darren McFadden (5) carries against the LSU Tigers in overtime at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Normally a rivalry isn't determined on the basis of domination by one team. Somehow, Arkansas has ended up with two of those and the first game will be Saturday against LSU.

The Tigers may have the singular claim to knocking the Razorbacks out of one sure national championship and a good shot at two others. Not even Texas has been able to do that and that's the Big Shootout in 1969.

We won't know what a win or loss will do for this year's team for a month and a half. That's both sides of the ball, by the way.

The Hogs will have their best shot at leaping into the Top 25 if they could find a way to win. At 4-2, they are knocking on the door and would probably be ranked if not for a late collapse against Oklahoma State.

LSU has a solo loss to USC early in the season, but are coming off a 29-26 overtime win over Ole Miss on Saturday. The Tigers really had no business winning that game because the Rebels found a way to blow it at the end.

What it points out, though, is the Tigers know how to win a close one. So does Arkansas, who found a way to beat Tennessee, 19-14, in their last game a couple of weeks ago. Both teams are riding a high right now. It's happened before in this series.

The most recent memory is probably not one Razorbacks offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino wants to remember. That was his final regular season game in 2011 when the third-ranked Hogs went down to to Baton Rouge against the top-ranked Tigers full of hope.

LSU won going away, 41-13, and weren't slowed down until the national championship game against Alabama, of all people, and found a way to lose.

That was the most recent shot at a title Arkansas never got a shot to play for because of the Tigers. There was one other. Houston Nutt's 2006 team would have beenmore confident going into the SEC Championship game against Florida with a win that likely would have put them in the BCS title game.

None of that was guaranteed, though. They still had to win a couple more games. Old-timers will remember when LSU flat-out knocked the Razorbacks out of finally getting a national championship trophy they could keep.

After claiming a title in 1964 when the polls were done before the bowl games, the Hogs missed out on a title when Alabama lost to Texas in the Orange Bowl. A committee of five writers voted to re-award the Grantland Rice Trophy from the sports writers association.

Arkansas got four votes and claimed the title (Texas got the other one). Crimson Tide coach Bear Bryant wasn't giving the trophy back anyway and still rightfully claims the title.

By the time we got around to the Cotton Bowl matchup a year later against a 7-3 LSU team, the Razorbacks were undefeated with one of the best offenses and defenses in the nation. The Hogs were undefeated and ranked No. 2 behind Michigan State.

This time, Razorback fans were glad the polls were taken after the bowl games. The mistake the previous year wasn't going to happen again.

The Spartans lost to UCLA in the Rose, then Arkansas got Jon Brittenum hurt in the first half and could never find the end zone as Joe LaBruzo scored two first-half touchdowns for a 14-7 lead at the break.

It ended that way, despite a record-setting day by wide receiver Bobby Crockett catching passes from Ronny South. He could pass better than Brittenum, but never had the knack for making the big play when it was needed the most.

Of all things, fourth-ranked Alabama defeated No. 3 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl and got another championship trophy. Bryant, the Fordyce native, had the best of both ways with the wire service polls.

Arkansas ended up just having a really good team that couldn't win the biggest prize.

On Saturday night, the Hogs will have to be content with getting a heavy, gigantic boot-shaped trophy it takes the entire offensive line to carry to the locker room.

HOGS FEED:

• Calipari jokingly plays coy on Razorbacks, Kentucky game

• Pittman still managing to hang on to hope Taylen Green can play Saturday

• Braylen Russell taking it all in stride for Razorbacks

• Pittman manages to do unthinkable for Razorbacks

• Hogs must slow down these two Tigers if they want chance to win Saturday

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