Down 17-10 late in the 3rd quarter, LSU's season was on the brink. I wasn't ready to write the team off, but I was thinking of adjusting my expectations to give up on the SEC title.
Then the team started playing like a Les Miles team. I'm a firm believer that good teams don't win close games, they win by blowout. That said, I don't think I could be more confident in a close game with a Les Miles coached LSU team. He always seems to press the right button, make the right call, and the players make the big play. In a battle of wills, LSU does not blink.
Look at the yards gained by USC on their second half drives, after their opening drive:
4 yards
1 yard
5 yards
-2 yards
-5 yards
LSU's defense, which has been the surprising weak link this season, came to play. In the second half, they got us back in the game and then shut the door. After we got crushed in the second half against Florida, this week we did the exact opposite against USC. It was dominant.
This is what good teams do. They play their best with the game on the line. Les Miles' teams do it over and over again. This win put the season back on the right track. Now the real test comes next week: Georgia. Is LSU a top ten team or just a top twenty team, rebuilding for the future? At least we're in a position to ask that question.