LSU can still win SEC West? Be happy Les Miles, Tigers still have say

Be happy for Les Miles.

One day after his mother passed away , Miles threw the latest wrench into the SEC West race when No. 24 LSU edged No. 3 Ole Miss 10-7.

“This is a quality team with men that believe they can,” Miles said afterward. “It’s not the coach, I can tell you that.”

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That’s hard to believe, almost as much as the following scenario: 

— LSU beats Alabama.

— Alabama beats Mississippi State and Auburn.

— Auburn beats Ole Miss.

— Ole Miss beats Mississippi State.

Assuming Mark Richt or Bret Bielema don’t intervene, that would mean Ole Miss, LSU, Mississippi State, Alabama and Auburn would all have two losses atop the SEC West. Be happy for that, too.

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Then what? Who knows? But Miles made sure the Tigers would have a day in how this race will unfold. And Saturday’s win was all things Les. Consider:

LSU committed four turnovers — one in each quarter — against the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense. The Tigers still won.

Anthony Jennings’ uneven play continued. He finished 8-of-16 passing for 142 yards and two interceptions. The Tigers still won.

How did this happen? Two reasons.

Freshman Leonard Fournette looks like the man-child we wanted him to be in August. Fournette (23 carries, 114 yards) and Kenny Hilliard (12 carries, 63 yards) combined for 12 straight runs and 90 yards on the game-winning drive, which started at LSU’s five-yard line. Jennings hit Logan Stokes for a three-yard touchdown with 5:59 remaining.

LSU’s defense matched Ole Miss. Bo Wallace (14-of-33) struggled, and the Rebels managed just 3.9 yards per carry. LSU stopped Wallace on a fourth-and-1, and Ronald Martin came up with the game-ending interception in the final minute . 

Miles’ power run game and nasty defense has a 5-1 record against Top 10 opponents at Tiger Stadium since 2010. Now, Alabama visits LSU in two weeks with both teams coming off the bye.
The SEC and four-team playoff race is that much better because of it.

Like we said, be happy. It wouldn’t feel like November if Miles, LSU and Death Valley didn’t have a say.

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