BREAK: LSU kick out 5 SEC Teams
Next season, the South Eastern Conference will expand by adding two new teams: the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners. Imagine a scenario where LSU had the power to eliminate one team from the SEC. Would the Tigers choose to go back to 2003 to ensure an undefeated season? Might they travel back in time to secure a spot in the National Championship game in another season? Or would they simply remove a team to be free of its fanbase? Here are the top five teams that LSU might consider removing in this hypothetical situation:
5. Texas Longhorns
Despite Texas just joining the SEC, it would be amusing if they were promptly sent back out. This would also benefit SEC teams on the field. The Longhorns and Tigers have only faced each other twice since 1963, with the most recent encounter showcasing Joe Burrow’s breakout as a Heisman front-runner, scoring 45 points against Texas.
Texas joining the SEC presents two main issues for the existing members: recruiting and on-field competition. On the recruiting front, the Longhorns boast one of the nation’s top NIL programs, as demonstrated during their latest recruiting weekend.
The Lamborghinis are out on display at #Texas this afternoon as the first batch of official visitors enter Moncrief. Sarkisian at the front door to greet Josiah Sharma here.
Nice touch with the Kendrick x Not Like Us blasting for the west coast DL.
Via: drizzy.suge / IG pic.twitter.com/15oyTXQ2Pc
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) June 7, 2024
On the field, Steve Sarkisian appears to be steering the program back to the level it reached under Mack Brown. The Longhorns enter the SEC as one of the favorites to win the conference and the National Championship in 2024.
4. Texas A&M Aggies
If SEC schools could vote to expel the most delusional fanbase, the Texas A&M Aggies might win in a landslide. While the conference has seen its share of fights, scandals, and poor officiating, nothing has been more embarrassing than the antics of the Texas A&M yell leaders.
Despite the SEC struggling with Johnny Manziel, LSU managed to defeat him twice, with the Tigers’ defense holding Manziel to his worst performance ever. LSU’s victories over the Aggies helped secure Coach Orgeron’s position as the permanent head coach, allowing them to avoid the tumultuous era under Tom Herman. All-time, the LSU football team…
3. Ole Miss Rebels
The LSU Tigers and Ole Miss Rebels have faced each other every season since 1945, and this rivalry will continue as Ole Miss has been designated one of LSU Football’s permanent opponents. The matchup was dubbed the Magnolia Bowl in 2008, reflecting the shared state flower, the Magnolia, of both Louisiana and Mississippi.
On the field, LSU has historically dominated the rivalry with a record of 63-42-4, though the games from 2012-2014 were vacated. If you discount LSU’s loss in 1997, the team would have played for the SEC Championship that year. While the Rebels haven’t been LSU’s toughest opponent, their annual clashes secure them a prominent spot in LSU’s list of rivals, ranking third overall.
2. Florida Gators
Right alongside LSU Football’s clashes with Alabama are their battles with the Florida Gators, particularly during Urban Meyer’s tenure. The teams have had numerous memorable games, though the Gators have delivered some disappointing losses to LSU.
If you remove Florida from the SEC, Nick Saban’s 2003 team goes undefeated, winning the National Championship. Eliminating the 2006 loss means LSU would play for the SEC title, holding the tiebreaker over Arkansas and likely contending for the National Championship. However, removing Florida from SEC play would also mean losing iconic moments like the 2020 “shoe throw” game.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
If we consider only the Nick Saban era of Alabama Football, no rival is more compelling to remove from the SEC than Alabama. Every season, LSU and Alabama seemed to clash for the SEC West title, and in some years, the National Championship was on the line.
In 2009, Alabama staged a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the 9th-ranked Tigers, handing them a second loss and effectively ending their National Title hopes. In 2011’s “Game of the Century,” LSU beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa, but the SEC’s strength kept Alabama in the hunt. Without Alabama in the SEC, do they still get a shot at LSU in the National Title? If Alabama wasn’t in the SEC, LSU would likely dominate the SEC West, leading to numerous SEC Championships and potentially several more National Titles.