LSU Football: 5 Reasons Why the Tigers Are the True No. 1 Team in the Country

The LSU Tigers started the season with one of the most difficult schedules in the country.

Now, after an impressive start to the season starting 3-0, the Tigers are the hottest team in the country. Forget Oklahoma or Alabama, it's LSU and they will prove it with the most difficult schedule in the country.

Here are five reasons why the LSU Tigers are the best team in college football and should be ranked No. 1.

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The Running Game Is Solid

The Tigers don't throw the ball much, but that's because they don't have to when you have a two-headed monster at running back with Spencer Ware and Michael Ford.

Both of these running backs combined have ran for over 400 yards and seven touchdowns. They both average over four yards a carry, and the combination of speed and power bully opposing defenses.

Neither have been extremely impressive, but the combination of both of them make them a solid tandem and nice weapons to have.

If you expect to stop this LSU offense, it starts with the running game.

Improvement of Quarterback Jarrett Lee

When quarterback Jordan Jefferson was arrested and suspended indefinitely from the team, many Tigers fans thought the season was over.

Not so fast.

Senior quarterback Jarrett Lee has improved his play a lot since we've last seen him. He doesn't get a ton of chances to throw the football, but he is completing 67 percent of his passes, which is a seven percent improvement from last year.

He's also thrown three touchdowns already, which is one more than both his junior and sophomore seasons and just one shy of tying those years combined.

Lee doesn't do anything spectacular but doesn't do anything to hurt the team either. He gives the Tigers a chance to win every game, and that's really all you can ask for.

Tigers Have Won the Most Impressive Games

The LSU Tigers still have a long way to go to become National Champions, but they have already taken giant steps towards making those dreams come true.

The Tigers have won the most impressive games of anybody in the top five so far.

Week 1 the Tigers put a hurting on the Oregon Ducks, and they beat Mississippi State by a score of 19-6. That's two ranked teams going down to the Tigers in just three weeks.

The Boise State Broncos have only beaten Georgia, and looking at the Bulldogs performances lately, you can't say that's impressive.

Stanford has yet to play anybody worth mentioning, so who knows if they're as good as their ranking says they are.

Alabama has beaten Penn State, but the other two victories have come against Kent State and North Texas. The Crimson Tide defeating the Nittany Lions is equivalent to the Tigers beating the Bulldogs. 

The Oklahoma Sooners did beat the Florida State Seminoles in Florida State, but EJ Manuel missed most of the second half. Not taking anything away from Oklahoma, because they were solid, but is that win really as good as both of LSU victories? 

The Tigers by far have the hardest schedule of anybody in the Top 25, and if they continue to win, you have to give them credit.

Les Miles

Can head coach Les Miles get some love?

All he's done was take a team that was dealing with controversy up to Week 1 against Oregon and won the game pretty convincingly. He did that with his starting quarterback, wide receiver and linebacker out of the game.

Most teams would have folded in these type of situations, but Les Miles kept his team focused on the task at hand and led his team to victory.

Having a coach of Miles' caliber is a nice thing to have going through a season and a schedule like this one.

A lot of times he is the coach who isn't mentioned when we talk about the best coaches in college football.

It's about time he is.

The Defense

Was there ever any doubt this would be the No. 1 reason?

LSU has the best defense in the country, giving up less than two touchdowns a game on average. The Oregon Ducks played the Tigers and only scored 27 points. The Mississippi State Bulldogs played LSU in Mississippi State with the cow bells and everything and only had 23 rushing yards. In case you didn't know, they average 230 rushing yards a game.

In just three games, they average over two turnovers a game and have five total sacks.

It's nearly impossible to run the ball on this team, and you need to be aware of where you throw the ball because it will either be picked off or your receiver will leave on a stretcher.

The SEC has been known for physical defenses, and it doesn't get much better than LSU.

This unit alone keeps them in games and will be a huge reason they have a shot at a National Title.