Tigers enjoying postseason success

The running backs are still banged up. The coaching staff is about to lose an assistant coach. Another is the subject of a probe for NCAA violations.

And yet 12th-ranked LSU still looks as steady as ever under Les Miles headed into a Capital One Bowl matchup against No. 13 Penn State on New Year’s Day in Orlando.

After all, the Tigers are used to distractions before a bowl game. Two years ago, the LSU coach was under the brightest spotlight in college football when he was rumored to be taking over for Lloyd Carr at Michigan – while preparing the Tigers for a national title showdown with Ohio State.

LSU won that game, just like the Tigers have won four straight bowl games since Miles came over from Oklahoma State to replace Nick Saban. Not only have the Tigers won their postseason matchups, but they’ve won all of them convincingly.

In the 2005 season, it was a 40-3 thrashing of Miami in the Peach Bowl that cost Hurricanes coach Larry Coker his job. The Tigers went on to the Sugar Bowl the next season and hammered Notre Dame 41-14, following that up with the 38-24 national championship victory against the Buckeyes.

Last year it was a 38-3 trouncing of Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl (formerly the Peach Bowl).

“I don’t know that there’s any secret,” Miles told LSU reporters after the Tigers were selected for the Capital One Bowl. “We make some right decisions. Every bowl season is completely different. Our guys seem to be focused with the end of the season at hand and have done a great job preparing for that single opponent.

Like Penn State, LSU spent some time this season ranked in the top 10 in the country. The Tigers lost to two of the top teams in the country in Alabama and Florida and also were upset by Mississippi State to finish the regular season 9-3.

This despite missing three running backs – Charles Scott, Keiland Williams and Richard Murphy – at different points in the season. On Sunday, Miles was hopeful that Scott will be available in some capacity for the bowl game while recovering from a broken collarbone suffered on Nov. 7.

“Charles Scott’s going to be very interesting,” Miles said. “We’ll have him in shells certainly for a piece of the bowl prep. Whether or not we’ll actually get him to play, I’m not certain. But we would be so thrilled to have old Scott back.”

Beyond that, LSU is facing some turnover on the coaching staff. Running backs coach Larry Porter has accepted the head coaching job at his alma mater, Memphis, but is expected to remain with LSU until after the bowl game.