LSU Football: 3 Games That Could Derail Their Title Run

When LSU fans first took a look at their 2011 football schedule, they had to believe that two of the toughest matchups might be at home against No. 3 Oregon and on the road against Mississippi State.

Well, now that the Tigers have breezed through both of those games rather easily, national title aspirations are alive and kicking—and rightfully so.

The Tigers look mighty good. 

While it's important to not look too far ahead, here's a look at three games that could really hurt the Tigers' run at a championship.

at West Virginia (9/24)

What a rough opening schedule for the Tigers.

After games with Oregon and at Mississippi State, they now get to travel to Morgantown to take on the No. 18 West Virginia Mountaineers.

WVU will be looking to exact revenge from 2010 when LSU knocked them them off by a touchdown in Baton Rouge. 

Shutting down junior quarterback Geno Smith and the bevy of talented receivers will be priority No. 1 for the Tigers, but it won't be easy. Especially on the road, where the Mountaineers are always tough to beat.

Since 2005, West Virginia has only lost at home five times.

vs. Auburn (10/22)

 Normally I wouldn't question LSU at home against an Auburn team that could easily be 0-2 right now.

But take a little look at who LSU plays the week after this one. Yup, at Alabama.

If LSU and Alabama are both still undefeated at this point, they could easily be No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation heading for the showdown of the season.

That makes this game against Auburn a classic trap game. Les Miles will say all the right things about how his team won't overlook Auburn, but it will be impossible to not look ahead.

at Alabama (11/5)

Which brings us here. Like I said, this game could easily be a battle of the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation, with a trip to the SEC Championship on the line. Games in early November just don't get bigger than this one.

Traveling to Tuscaloosa is never something that any team wants to do, but LSU actually matches up pretty well with the Crimson Tide.

The Tigers' defense has the ability to stop Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy and turn the game into a defensive battle, which they would win.

Still though, short of an SEC or national title game, this has to be the hardest matchup of the year for LSU.