Sitting in his news conference after his team’s narrow win against Arkansas on Friday, LSU coach Les Miles was already looking toward the next day, like always.
There was no game to prepare for, but there was the prospect of finding out which team he would face next.
“I promise you this,” Miles said of Saturday’s plans. “I’ll be eating some Mrs. Miles cooking and watching TV.”
A happy, leisurely day at home was far from assured deep into the fourth quarter against the Razorbacks. The LSU defense gave up more than 300 passing yards for the third game in a row, and the offense did the minimum to escape Fayetteville, Ark., with a 20-13 win.
The fast track to the Southeastern Conference Championship, which with a win would lead to a BCS National Championship berth, ran through an Alabama loss to lowly Auburn. Not surprisingly, the Tide slammed that door to the tune of a 49-0 drubbing, ending former Plainsman coach Gene Chizik’s tenure in the process.
A good chance at the BCS-sponsored Sugar Bowl was still on the table, until Florida all but claimed it by outlasting in-state rival Florida State, 37-26.
The Tigers must now continue to wait to see where they fall after a season that some may label a disappointment but the players call a success.
Junior safety Eric Reid said he’d find some time for football, but since he didn’t get to celebrate Thanksgiving, his Saturday would be spent playing with his daughter. Senior offensive lineman Josh Dworaczyk would also be gathering with family, but that wasn’t going to keep him from being glued to the television set all day.
“It’s out of our hands, but we’ve gotten some help before,” Dworaczyk said. “We could sure use some tomorrow.”
They never got any assistance, though. If the coaches and players sat down the next day and watched in hopes of a better bowl berth, they were disappointed when Saturday’s slate of games provided no favorable upsets for the Tigers.
So now, while it may not be what they were hoping for, the Tigers have a more crystallized vision of what lies in their future, awaiting the result of the SEC Championship game to further solidify their possible destination.
Should Georgia upset Alabama, the Tide would likely be the favorite for Orlando’s Capital One Bowl, which gets first pick of SEC teams after BCS selections. An Alabama win would most likely mean Texas A&M and its freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel, who might have earned the Heisman after racking up 439 total yards and five total touchdowns against Missouri, grab the spot.
A&M would also be coveted by the Cotton Bowl in the case of a Tide loss, but should Texas be assured a berth, the two Texan teams’ falling out over conference realignment could dissuade the selection committee from pitting the Aggies against the Longhorns if they fell. Then, LSU’s recent history in Dallas could prove attractive. If not, the SEC-East-preferential Outback Bowl and the lower-tier Chick-fil-A Bowl also wait in the wings to snatch up the Tigers.
“You have to win these games,” Miles said Friday. “We’ll have an opportunity to improve and get a little healthier. We look forward to hopefully a week from tomorrow, but if not, certainly some bowl site that will be in response to the achievement of this season.”
What the Tigers achieved this season — another 10-win season — was nothing new to the Miles regime. Since the eccentric coach arrived in Baton Rouge in 2005, LSU has won 10 games six times in eight seasons. It’s a testament to Miles’ prowess, as LSU had only accomplished the feat seven times in 111 seasons before his arrival (two belonged to Nick Saban), according to The Advocate’s Les East.
“The guys I play with, I hope they understand how special the things we’ve been able to accomplish here on a consistent basis … is,” Dworaczyk said.
Add in the trials LSU has overcome this season, and Miles seems to think next season could turn out like so many LSU fans expected.
“If you think of the number of players that we started the season with that are no longer with us, [having to play so many freshmen,] for this football team to achieve 10 victories, they’ll be awfully salty in a year, I can tell you that,” Miles said.
LSU junior cornerback Tharold Simon (24) sprints down the sideline after picking off Arkansas' Tyler Wilson during the Tiger's 20-13 win over the Razorbacks in Fayetteville.
