Kicking off our 10 best SEC teams of the last decade series, 2007 LSU comes in at No. 10, a national champion led by college football’s top defensive player Glenn Dorsey that overcame two triple-overtime losses during the regular season to win the SEC and prevail in the BCS title game.
10.) LSU 2007 (12-2, BCS national champion)
After falling to No. 5 following an overtime loss to Arkansas during the final weekend of the regular season, the Tigers beat 14th-ranked Tennessee in Atlanta next time out for the conference title and benefited from several losses by teams ranked ahead of them in the BCS. LSU earned a spot in the national championship game against Ohio State with a No. 2 finish in the final BCS poll.
The Tigers had tremendous depth at every position and exemplified Les Miles’ ‘next man up’ mentality when adversity struck. Senior quarterback Matt Flynn missed the all-important SEC title game tilt with Tennessee, but Ryan Perrilloux came off the bench and helped the Tigers hold off the Vols by a touchdown with 243 yards through the air.
Dorsey, a unanimous first team All-American selection, anchored a fierce front seven with 69 tackles, seven sacks and 12.5 tackles-for-loss. For his efforts, Dorsey was a runaway choice for SEC defensive player of the year and took home the Outland, Lombardi, Lott and Nagurski awards. He was selected fifth overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2008 NFL Draft.
Best offensive player: Jacob Hester, RB
Best defensive player: Glenn Dorsey, DT
Best win: 21-14 over Tennessee in SEC Championship
Defining moments: The Tigers were the only team in the country to beat seven ranked teams during the 2007 season, doing so through an opportunistic defense and Flynn’s guidance who overcame turnover problems to lead his team to a championship.
LSU’s 2007 schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug.30 | 7 pm | at Miss. St. | #2 | Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, MS | ESPN | W 45–0 | 50,112 |
| Sept.8 | 8:15 pm | #9 Virginia Tech | #2 | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA | ESPN | W 48–7 | 92,739 |
| Sept.15 | 7 pm | Middle Tenn. | #2 | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA | PPV | W 44–0 | 92,407 |
| Sept.22 | 2:30 pm | #12 S.Carolina | #2 | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA | CBS | W 28–16 | 92,530 |
| Sept.29 | 11 am | at Tulane | #2 | Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans | ESPN2 | W 34–9 | 58,769 |
| Oct.6 | 7:28 pm | #9 Florida | #1 | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA | CBS | W 28–24 | 92,910 |
| Oct.13 | 2:30 pm | at #17 Kentucky | #1 | Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington | CBS | L 37–43 3OT | 70,902 |
| Oct.20 | 8 pm | #18 Auburn | #5 | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA | ESPN | W 30–24 | 92,630 |
| Nov.3 | 4 pm | at #17 Alabama | #3 | Bryant-Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa | CBS | W 41–34 | 92,138 |
| Nov.10 | 7 pm | Louisiana Tech | #2 | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA | PPV | W 58–10 | 92,512 |
| Nov.17 | 2:30 pm | at Ole Miss | #1 | Vaught-Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, Miss. | CBS | W 41–24 | 60,850 |
| Nov.23 | 1:30 pm | Arkansas | #1 | Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA | CBS | L 48–50 3OT | 92,606 |
| Dec. 1 | 3 pm | vs. #14 Tennessee | #5 | Georgia Dome • Atlanta, GA (SECCG) | CBS | W 21–14 | 73,832 |
| Jan. 7, 08 | 6:30 pm | vs. #1 Ohio State | #2 | Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA (BCS Championship Game) | FOX | W 38–24 | 79,651 |
