By Charles Hanagriff
Maybe the oldest of sports cliches’ is “just wait until next year.” It usually comes after a disappointing loss, or, if you are the New York Jets, twice a month from Labor Day to Christmas.
In this century at LSU, with some notable exceptions, it has come after the second loss of the season.
That is the loss that almost always put the SEC Championship Game out of reach, and the BCS or playoffs into the longshot category.
It didn’t in 2007. The Tigers won it all that year with two losses, but they were the only team in the BCS era to do it. The 2001 season was a lot of fun at the finish even with three losses, because it had been a long time since LSU won the Sugar Bowl.
Of course, that was when people still cared about bowl games.
Last season stayed alive with two losses mostly because of a magical performance by Jayden Daniels. LSU had the proverbial puncher’s chance.
This season is different.
Make no mistake, the Tigers’ loss at Texas A&M was a colossal disappointment. With a 10-point lead in the second half, LSU was warming up the driver’s seat in the Southeastern Conference, which could have easily led to the pole position in the CFP.
The difference this year is that every one of the goals set by this team are still in play, and probably still within control of the Tigers themselves.
If this had been last year, LSU would’ve been forced to hope that A&M would lose two of their last three just to get the Tigers a shot at Atlanta. Now, winning out, difficult as that will be, comes with a lot more than a berth in the Reliaquest Bowl.
If LSU, Texas A&M, Georgia and Texas all win the remaining games in which they are currently favored, it would set up a rematch between the Tigers and Aggies at Mercedes Benz Stadium. I’m not going through all the tiebreakers, just trust me.
From there, both teams should be bound for the playoffs. A win in Atlanta comes with a bye attached.
If LSU wins out and the chalk doesn’t hold with the other three, the prospects are still rather good for the Tigers. With a current ranking of 16, and a strength of schedule at 15, LSU’s resume will hold up well in the committee room. Four more wins would raise those numbers considerably.
Furthermore, for the first time since 2007, LSU will be favored in every game in November. Even the best Tiger teams in 2011 and 2019 were underdogs to Alabama. That will not be the case this year.
As a bonus, in 2024 LSU enters November with a certain amount of unpredictability. Twelve months ago, the Tigers were certain to be great on offense and awful on defense. That formula had a limited shelf life. This time around, LSU is capable on both sides of the ball.
What they are not is consistent. The first half at South Carolina is just as likely to appear as the second half at Arkansas. The second half at A&M could be replaced by the second half against Ole Miss. Anyone who suggests they know for sure are either lying, or they own a flying DeLorean.
Brian Kelly’s teams usually get better as the season progresses, and this year is a prime example of that, but it is far from perfect. LSU’s ceiling must be higher. These Tigers are hoping to get hot as the weather turns cold, since three is the new two.
Last year the quarterback turned in the most memorable of Novembers. It led to him zooming up draft boards and elevated his teammates in the process. He did everything in his power to bring LSU as far as they could go.
Well, maybe this could be a little bit like last year?
