LSU Football: Les Miles and the Tigers' Road to the 2014 BCS

LSU looked as bad as it has in the Les Miles era in a loss against Ole Miss on Saturday.

For the second season in a row, the Tigers' national championship hopes have been dashed earlier than expected -- much earlier.

The Tigers are still in the Top 15 in nearly every poll, so all's not lost.  Miles can still finish with another 10-win season, which is nothing to complain about.  

Record	AP	Coaches	Strength of Shedule	BCS
6-2 (3-2)	13	13 (tied)	6	13

Biggest Obstacle to a BCS Berth

If LSU wins out, it could reach the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

The Tigers play Alabama in two weeks in Tuscaloosa in what has become the premiere matchup in college football. The game is the toughest left on the Crimson Tide's schedule and will be packed with national championship implications. 

LSU welcomes Texas A&M to Baton Rouge following Alabama, but the Tigers will have a bye before playing Johnny Manziel.

But as has been the case under Miles, the Tigers, once out of the title hunt, have been their own biggest enemy, playing uninspired ball.

Help Needed 

If any school needed it, LSU needed the four-team playoff to start this season.  But for LSU to reach the BCS National Championship Game, it will need an unprecedented number of losses from teams ahead of it. That's not likely.

As far as reaching the Sugar Bowl, LSU is in good shape if it can win out. The Tigers need the winner of the SEC Championship Game to reach the BCS National Championship, which has been the case the past seven seasons. 

Sat, Oct 26	Furman
Sat, Nov 09	Alabama
Sat, Nov 23	Texas A&M
Fri, Nov 29	Arkansas

The Big Picture 

LSU's remaining strength of schedule features the aforementioned games against Texas A&M and Alabama. Wins against both, or even one, exponentially increases the chance to play in a post-New Year's Day bowl. 

LSU needs to win out, and have Alabama and Auburn have two conference losses at the end of the season, for the Tigers to have a chance to play in the SEC Championship. 

Final Bowl Prediction

LSU will lose at least one more conference game and play in the Capital One Bowl.