The Zeitgeist List · Rivalries

Battle for the Golden Boot

Arkansas23-45-2LSU
National Program II#61 of 138–Blue Blood#10 of 138–
See both programs’ full 91-year Zeitgeist History, side by side →
Next meeting: Sat Nov 28 · time TBA, 24 days away.

6 players crossed straight to the rival since 2021 — the turncoat ledger →

LSU leads the all-time series 45-23-2. They've met 70 times since 1906. LSU has won the last 4.

Current season

Vegas win totals and transfer-portal swing right now, plus what fans are actually saying — not history, this year.

Arkansas
Win total
3.5
Vegas over/under
Transfer portal
-1
portal net points (weighted) · raw ledger: +9
What fans are saying · program direction
fans think loyalty to the coach defines real team support
If your an American patriot you don’t criticize the president and if your a real hog fan you don’t talk bad about the coach.
Verified verbatim
LSU
Win total
8.5
Vegas over/under
Transfer portal
+8
portal net points (weighted) · raw ledger: +15
What fans are saying · program direction
fans think expelling LSU would hurt the conference's reputation
I'll say this again, the SEC is not going to expel LSU. It would be a rash and shortsighted decision and would end up being the single most disastrous decision the conference ever made.
Verified verbatim

Stature & the series, 1906–2025

Both programs’ standing over time, each line named at its end, with every meeting beneath — read down to see who was bigger and who won. (Stature is each program’s season-by-season standing on the Zeitgeist List, 1936–present — one score blending on-field performance, program achievement, and roster talent.)

program stature over timeArkansasLSUevery meeting (bar height = margin; dark: Arkansas won, gray: LSU won)192019401960198020002020

The identity war

Arkansas has been the more pass-heavy program more often than not.

Across 23 seasons of real play-level data (2004–2026), Arkansas led 12 and LSU led 11.

more passmore runArkansasLSU2004200620082010201220142016201820202022202420262011Arkansas 21.3 ptsLSU won 41-172021LSU 15.1 ptsArkansas won 16-132024LSU 13.3 ptsLSU won 34-10
Source team_season_stats (CFBD season totals) · pass rate = passAttempts ÷ (passAttempts + rushingAttempts)

LSU once won 7 in a row. The biggest win was Arkansas by 51 in 1910. The biggest crowd, 101,699, was in 2015.

The coaching duels

Houston Nutt vs Nick Saban2-3
Bobby Petrino vs Les Miles2-2
Danny Ford vs Gerry DiNardo0-3
Houston Nutt vs Les Miles1-2
Bret Bielema vs Les Miles2-1
Sam Pittman vs Brian Kelly0-3

The draft ledger

Every NFL Draft pick either program has produced since the modern era began, decade by decade.

Draft picks
138-241
LSU leads
1st-rounders
18-40
Since
1967
First CFBD-carried draft class
ArkansasLSU
1960s6-6
1970s22-14
1980s20-31
1990s11-22
2000s29-49
2010s34-62
2020s16-57

Best picks, either side

2020Joe Burrow Quarterback · Cincinnati BengalsRd 1, pick 1#1 overall
2007JaMarcus Russell Quarterback · Oakland RaidersRd 1, pick 1#1 overall
2024Jayden Daniels Quarterback · Washington CommandersRd 1, pick 2#2 overall
1973Bert Jones Quarterback · Baltimore ColtsRd 1, pick 2#2 overall
2022Derek Stingley Jr. Cornerback · Houston TexansRd 1, pick 3#3 overall
2009Tyson Jackson Defensive End · Kansas City ChiefsRd 1, pick 3#3 overall
1979Dan Hampton Defensive Tackle · Chicago BearsRd 1, pick 4#4 overall
2008Darren McFadden Running Back · Oakland RaidersRd 1, pick 4#4 overall

Recent meetings

Gate premium

LSU1.06×its own average home crowd

LSU already plays close to its own attendance ceiling in non-rivalry home games, so this number understates how much bigger this game draws relative to a program with more room to grow into a crowd.

2025LSU23-22Arkansas — decided by 1
2024LSU34-10
2023LSU34-31
2022LSU13-10
2021Arkansas16-13
2020LSU27-24Arkansas — decided by 3
2019LSU56-20
2018LSU24-17
2017LSU33-10
2016LSU38-10
2015Arkansas31-14LSU — LSU routed by 17
2014Arkansas17-0
2013LSU31-27
2012LSU20-13

Every meeting since 2018, play by play

Each line is Arkansas’s chance to win through that meeting. Arkansas is 1-3 in the meetings since 2018 that were still close in the fourth quarter.

2025LSU 23-22Arkansas lost 22-23 at LSU. Chance to win started at 31%, low 10%, high 78%.Steady
2024LSU 34-10Arkansas lost 10-34 vs LSU. Chance to win started at 39%, low under 1%, high 39%.
2023LSU 34-31Arkansas lost 31-34 at LSU. Chance to win started at 14%, low under 1%, high 56%.Busy
2022LSU 13-10Arkansas lost 10-13 vs LSU. Chance to win started at 38%, low 4%, high 63%.Busy
2021Arkansas 16-13Arkansas won 16-13 at LSU. Chance to win started at 61%, low 16%, high better than 99%.
2020LSU 27-24Arkansas lost 24-27 vs LSU. Chance to win started at 45%, low 10%, high 76%.
2019LSU 56-20Arkansas lost 20-56 at LSU. Chance to win started at 1%, low under 1%, high 1%.
2018LSU 24-17Arkansas lost 17-24 vs LSU. Chance to win started at 19%, low under 1%, high 23%.
Read a quote from each meeting
  • 2025
    “A score? From my Razorbacks?”
    An Arkansas fan

Meetings with their own story page

11 meetings in our archive, 2015 to 2025.