Ranking the 21st Century seasons

[redleg]

There have been 17 football seasons in the 21st Century so far (2000-2016). Just for fun, this is my list of best to worst. Feel free to leave your own list. 

1. 2011 - (11-2) Cotton Bowl Champs, #5 final ranking.
2. 2010 - (10-3) Sugar Bowl loss, BCS game appearance, #12 final ranking.
3. 2006 - (10-4) SEC West Champs, Citrus Bowl loss, #16 final ranking.
4. 2003 - (9-4) Independence Bowl Champs.
5. 2002 - (9-5) SEC West Champs, Music City Bowl loss.
6. 2015 - (8-5) Liberty Bowl Champs.
7. 2009 - (8-5) Liberty Bowl Champs.
8. 2007 - (8-5) Cotton Bowl loss.
9. 2014 - (7-6) Texas Bowl Champs (beat Texas).
10. 2001 - (7-5) Cotton Bowl loss.
11. 2016 - (7-6) Belk Bowl loss.
12. 2000 - (6-6) Las Vegas Bowl loss.
13. 2004 - (5-6)
14. 2008 - (5-7)
15. 2005 - (4-7)
16. 2012 - (4-8)
17. 2013 - (3-9) zero SEC victories.
:razorback:

[LZH]

Technically, the year 2000 was actually the last year of the 20th century. I love to be difficult.

[Hogwild]

Good list, however I would move the 2007 season up a few spots, we defeated the #1 team in the country and eventually national champion that year, and we made it to the Cotton Bowl. I enjoyed that season much more than 2009 when finished 3-5 in SEC and beat ECU in the Liberty Bowl (heck the Liberty doesn't even remember we played there)


1. 2011 - (11-2) Cotton Bowl Champs, #5 final ranking.
2. 2010 - (10-3) Sugar Bowl loss, BCS game appearance, #12 final ranking.
3. 2006 - (10-4) SEC West Champs, Citrus Bowl loss, #16 final ranking.
4. 2003 - (9-4) Independence Bowl Champs.
5. 2002 - (9-5) SEC West Champs, Music City Bowl loss.
6. 2007 - (8-5) Cotton Bowl loss
7. 2001 - (7-5) Cotton Bowl loss (our 5 losses that year were Bama, Tenner, LSU, UGA, & OU)
8. 2015-  (8-5) Liberty Bowl Champs.
9. 2009 - (8-5) Liberty Bowl Champs. 
10. 2014- (7-6) Texas Bowl Champs
11. 2016 - (7-6) Belk Bowl loss.
12. 2000 - (6-6) Las Vegas Bowl loss.
13. 2004 - (5-6)
14. 2008 - (5-7)
15. 2005 - (4-7)
16. 2012 - (4-8)
17. 2013 - (3-9) zero SEC victories.

[EastexHawg]

2010 was the best team we've had since the late 70s.  Oh, what might have been.  The 2003 team was loaded with talent, but unfortunately coached by a moron.

[hogcard1964]

Dang, we've been good 3 years.   

[Michael D Huff AIA]

There have been 17 football seasons in the 21st Century so far (2000-2016). Just for fun, this is my list of best to worst. Feel free to leave your own list. 

1. 2011 - (11-2) Cotton Bowl Champs, #5 final ranking.
2. 2010 - (10-3) Sugar Bowl loss, BCS game appearance, #12 final ranking.
3. 2006 - (10-4) SEC West Champs, Citrus Bowl loss, #16 final ranking.
4. 2003 - (9-4) Independence Bowl Champs.
5. 2002 - (9-5) SEC West Champs, Music City Bowl loss.
6. 2015 - (8-5) Liberty Bowl Champs.
7. 2009 - (8-5) Liberty Bowl Champs.
8. 2007 - (8-5) Cotton Bowl loss.
9. 2014 - (7-6) Texas Bowl Champs (beat Texas).
10. 2001 - (7-5) Cotton Bowl loss.
11. 2016 - (7-6) Belk Bowl loss.
12. 2000 - (6-6) Las Vegas Bowl loss.
13. 2004 - (5-6)
14. 2008 - (5-7)
15. 2005 - (4-7)
16. 2012 - (4-8)
17. 2013 - (3-9) zero SEC victories.
:razorback:

I think this list is helpful in putting this past season into perspective.  When compared to, say, 2004-2005, 2016 doesn't look so bad.  That stretch was pretty brutal, and let's not discuss the awfulness of the '12-'13 stretch where we won as many games in two years as we did this past year.  The optimist in me says, "it has been worse", and this list proves that out. 

Unfortunately given our tough road schedule, I don't see 2017 falling in the top 4 or 5 on this list. 

[bob slydell]

There have been 17 football seasons in the 21st Century so far (2000-2016). Just for fun, this is my list of best to worst. Feel free to leave your own list. 

1. 2011 - (11-2) Cotton Bowl Champs, #5 final ranking.
2. 2010 - (10-3) Sugar Bowl loss, BCS game appearance, #12 final ranking.
3. 2006 - (10-4) SEC West Champs, Citrus Bowl loss, #16 final ranking.
4. 2003 - (9-4) Independence Bowl Champs.
5. 2002 - (9-5) SEC West Champs, Music City Bowl loss.
6. 2015 - (8-5) Liberty Bowl Champs.
7. 2009 - (8-5) Liberty Bowl Champs.
8. 2007 - (8-5) Cotton Bowl loss.
9. 2014 - (7-6) Texas Bowl Champs (beat Texas).
10. 2001 - (7-5) Cotton Bowl loss.
11. 2016 - (7-6) Belk Bowl loss.
12. 2000 - (6-6) Las Vegas Bowl loss.
13. 2004 - (5-6)
14. 2008 - (5-7)
15. 2005 - (4-7)
16. 2012 - (4-8)
17. 2013 - (3-9) zero SEC victories.
:razorback:

Curious as to why you would rank any seasons above SEC West Champs years.  Seems to me that that would be the better measure of success.

[redleg]

Are you saying that 2002 should be ahead of 2011 and 2010? 
:razorback:

[redleg]

2010 was the best team we've had since the late 70s.  Oh, what might have been.  The 2003 team was loaded with talent, but unfortunately coached by a moron.

Um...no. 1985 (10-2), 1988 (10-2) SWC champs...best defense Arkansas has had in the last thirty years, 1989 (10-2) SWC champs, 1998 (9-3) is underrated.
:razorback:

[DeltaBoy]

Um...no. 1985 (10-2), 1988 (10-2) SWC champs...best defense Arkansas has had in the last thirty years, 1989 (10-2) SWC champs, 1998 (9-3) is underrated.
:razorback:

Yep Hatfield had some solid teams.

[EastexHawg]

Um...no. 1985 (10-2), 1988 (10-2) SWC champs...best defense Arkansas has had in the last thirty years, 1989 (10-2) SWC champs, 1998 (9-3) is underrated.
:razorback:

I know about and remember those teams and in my opinion the 2010 team was better.  If I'm not mistaken every game we lost was to a team that was ranked or had been ranked #1 that season.  We played both Alabama and Ohio State off their feet before making crucial errors late that cost us the game.  We lost our starting QB early against national champ Auburn but were still in the game in the fourth quarter.

Ryan Mallett was the best passer in program history.  For the last half of the season Knile Davis was as good as any back in our history.  The receiving corps was exceptional.

Both the 2010 and 1988 teams outscored their schedule of opponents by around 13 ppg.  The 2010 team played much, much, much better competition.  The 1998 squad only played three good teams and lost to all three.

[bob slydell]

Are you saying that 2002 should be ahead of 2011 and 2010? 
:razorback:

Yes. I think that finishing 1st in the SEC West is better than finishing 2nd or 3rd.

[Pork Twain]

Technically, the year 2000 was actually the last year of the 20th century. I love to be difficult.

When one is good at something they should continue to hone their skills.

[hoggusamoungus]

Yes. I think that finishing 1st in the SEC West is better than finishing 2nd or 3rd.

The 2010 team would have won the SEC West in 2002 and the 2002 team would have finished 4th behind AU, Bama and LSU in 2010.   

[Pork Twain]

The 2010 team would have won the SEC West in 2002 and the 2002 team would have finished 4th behind AU, Bama and LSU in 2010.   

Winning the SEC West is a pretty big deal, BUT they only won it that year because Bama could not due to NCAA sanctions, so there has to be an asterisk there.

[hoggusamoungus]

Easy to say, impossible to prove.

Just an opinion, my man.  The 2002 couldn't have stopped CammyCam (no one did) and didn't have to face a Saban coached Bama team.

[Pork Twain]

Just an opinion, my man.  The 2002 couldn't have stopped CammyCam (no one did) and didn't have to face a Saban coached Bama team.

I edited that after I looked at those two seasons but you had already hit the quote button.  After refreshing my memory, I think it is a lot easier to say that and reasonably accept that to be true.

[DeltaBoy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAAKPJEq1Ew

[bob slydell]

Just an opinion, my man.  The 2002 couldn't have stopped CammyCam (no one did) and didn't have to face a Saban coached Bama team.

They did face a Saban coached LSU team however. 

[hoggusamoungus]

They did face a Saban coached LSU team however.

I was there and don't think the best team won.  LSU dominated for three quarters but let Talley break a long TD run and the secondary went brain dead on the long pass to Smith that set up the M on M.

[hogcard1964]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAAKPJEq1Ew

+1000

Classic

[ChicoHog]

Are you ranking their success based on wins/losses/final standings or rankings or based on team ability?

I agree with EastTex that 2010 was the best team and I think better than 2011 team that got killed by Bama and LSU and played a good but not great K-state team in Bowl game.  Compared to 2010 team that barely lost to Bama, could have won at Auburn but played no D and had some bad breaks and lost to a very good OSU team in the Sugar Bowl.  The 2006 team won a lot with smoke and mirrors and competition was not great.  2003 team should have had much better record.  Lost 3 in a row in October-2 at home to Auburn and UF in a game which we made an unbelievable comeback but fell just short thanks to Tony Bua's late hit on the UF QB.  2007 was another under achieving year. 

[redleg]

I know about and remember those teams and in my opinion the 2010 team was better.  If I'm not mistaken every game we lost was to a team that was ranked or had been ranked #1 that season.  We played both Alabama and Ohio State off their feet before making crucial errors late that cost us the game.  We lost our starting QB early against national champ Auburn but were still in the game in the fourth quarter.

Ryan Mallett was the best passer in program history.  For the last half of the season Knile Davis was as good as any back in our history.  The receiving corps was exceptional.

Both the 2010 and 1988 teams outscored their schedule of opponents by around 13 ppg.  The 2010 team played much, much, much better competition.  The 1998 squad only played three good teams and lost to all three.

1988 - 2 losses were at Miami and a Troy Aikman-led UCLA, won first ten games, SWC Champs, one of the greatest defenses in school history and was ranked in the top ten nationally in multiple categories (Steve Atwater, Wayne Martin, Kerry Owens, LaSalle Harper, Richard Brothers, Michael Shepherd, Patrick Williams, Anthony Cooney), top ten rushing offense nationally with three backs rushing for 600-800+ yards each, kicker Kendall Trainer was first team All-American and hit 26 or 27 in a row.
The 2010 team was very good, but 1988 is the second best team in my lifetime. 1977 was the best.

In my life, 1971 to now, I think that the top five teams are 1. 1977 2. 1988 3. 1979 4. 2010 5. 1989
:razorback:

[GS99]

I agree with EastTex that 2010 was the best team and I think better than 2011 team that got killed by Bama and LSU and played a good but not great K-state team in Bowl game.   

That 2011 team also benefited from some magic. Big second-half comebacks against A&M and Ole Miss are the type of things that good teams do, but the Vanderbilt game was over and lost until a lucky fumble.

[ChicoHog]

1988 - 2 losses were at Miami and a Troy Aikman-led UCLA, won first ten games, SWC Champs, one of the greatest defenses in school history and was ranked in the top ten nationally in multiple categories (Steve Atwater, Wayne Martin, Kerry Owens, LaSalle Harper, Richard Brothers, Michael Shepherd, Patrick Williams, Anthony Cooney), top ten rushing offense nationally with three backs rushing for 600-800+ yards each, kicker Kendall Trainer was first team All-American and hit 26 or 27 in a row.
The 2010 team was very good, but 1988 is the second best team in my lifetime. 1977 was the best.

In my life, 1971 to now, I think that the top five teams are 1. 1977 2. 1988 3. 1979 4. 2010 5. 1989
:razorback:

The 88 and 89 teams benefitted from a weak SWC.  I think the 79 and 82 teams were better than the those two teams.  We were good in 82, got upset at TCU, tied #2 SMU which demoralized us since they clinched the SWC with that tie and then we laid an egg at Texas in the last game of the season.  We finished by beating a pretty decent UF team in the Bluebonnet Bowl. 

[redleg]

The 88 and 89 teams benefitted from a weak SWC.  I think the 79 and 82 teams were better than the those two teams.  We were good in 82, got upset at TCU, tied #2 SMU which demoralized us since they clinched the SWC with that tie and then we laid an egg at Texas in the last game of the season.  We finished by beating a pretty decent UF team in the Bluebonnet Bowl.

No way the "82 team was better than "88 or "89. "88 lost to two Top 10 teams..."82 lost to a weak TCU squad. That does not bode well for them in any team rankings. Plus, the 1988 defense would have beaten the 1982 offense into submission.
The 2011 team would be #6.
:razorback: