LSU Football: The Tigers are not DBU, according to ESPN

College football is littered with programs that give themselves titles—both literally and figuratively—these days. No, we’re not talking about Miami being dubbed “The U” either. We’re talking about LSU Football calling itself DBU, despite four or five other schools claiming the moniker. We’re talking about UCF claiming to be the National Champions, despite not playing in the College Football Playoff. We’re talking about Clemson continuously calling itself an underdog, despite being one of the best programs in the nation for a decade now.

It’s apparent that ESPN has gotten sick and tired of programs claiming to be something they’re not. The popular sports media company began breaking down these claims and figuring out which school is the true [position]U a few years ago. The 2022 edition is here and writer David M. Hale has some strong takes on the matter. One of the most surprising is that LSU is not DBU in his mind. This is a claim that we’re now here to dispute, despite the rankings supposedly being the be-all and end-all of these particular discussions amongst fans.

LSU Football cannot claim the title of DBU, according to a recent ESPN piece

Hale and his team of statisticians ended up crowning Ohio State the kings of defensive back development. The DBU title was given to the Buckeyes, but the article stated that they only edged out the Bayou Bengals by a fraction of a point. This is where the first gripe stems from as many believe the Tigers should be sitting atop the throne.

The algorithm gave colleges a select number of points for all-conference selections. A quick glance at the record books reveals that 14 of the last 24 National Championship winners (BCS and College Football Playoff) have hailed from the Southeastern Conference. The Big Ten has won just two titles since 1998, which is the benchmark used by ESPN. Ohio State won both of the conferences’ trophies. This speaks to the parity amongst the conferences.

The SEC has boasted six unique winners during that time period, making it more difficult for the non-winners to be named to the all-conference teams. This isn’t even beginning to touch on the historical dominance of SEC defenses, which makes it even harder for individuals to get into these teams. Therefore, having a couple more all-conference defensive selections be the deciding factor in a close race between No. 1 and No. 2 for DBU seems rather silly.

Another talking point is that a bigger emphasis should be placed on talent in the National Football League. LSU not only boasts some insane numbers in the NFL, but the names on their resume are extremely impressive. The Tigers have had eight DBs drafted within the first three rounds of the last six NFL drafts. The Buckeyes? One lone defensive back drafted in the last two years. The list of active former LSU DBs in the pros alone is jaw-dropping:

• Jamal Adams
• Grant Delpit
• Cordale Flott
• Kristian Fulton
• Donte Jackson
• Tyrann Mathieu
• Jalen Mills
• Patrick Peterson
• Rashard Robinson
• Derek Stingley Jr.
• Kary Vincent Jr.
• Tre’Davious White
• Greedy Williams

LSU is a talent rich pipeline with a history of consistently pumping out cornerbacks and safeties ready to compete at the highest level. No disrespect intended to Ohio State, but there should only be one true DBU after looking over the list of current Tigers in the NFL. This talent in and of itself should be enough to convince others to recant their claims of being the best defensive back producers in the nation. When everything is said and done there is only one true DBU and it is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

What do you make of the situation, should LSU be dubbed the real DBU? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!