If LSU's Passing Game Is Doomed, Then So Is Les Miles

Last year, LSU boosters seeking an unattainably perfect football team nearly got long-time LSU coach Les Miles fired. They were even willing to fork over $15 million to do it. Ultimately, Miles beat Texas A&M in the final game of the season and somehow survived the chopping block.

But any goodwill Miles had earned from the fans last season—becoming a cult hero for beating his detractors and putting together a team that looked College Football Playoff-worthy—is gone after the Tigers lost to Wisconsin, 16-14, at Lambeau Field yesterday.

Now, in order to make the Playoff—the standard seemingly set by those who want him gone—Miles needs to beat out Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and a host of others. In other words, it's not happening. So does that mean this is the last we'll see of Miles on the LSU sidelines? He certainly didn't help his case yesterday.

Fluke-y losses happen, and shouldn't all be used to question a national power. That's what Miles seemed to indicate after the loss: this wasn't really LSU.

Miles: "We didn't move the football like we were capable of." #LSU
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) September 3, 2016

Based off the narrative of what we thought we knew about LSU this year, sure. But this game really showed that claims about the Tigers' improvement were relatively baseless.

The premise of LSU's speculative ascent this year relied on three assumptions, with only two based on proof: the defense would still be great, Leonard Fournette would once again be one of the best running backs in the country, and the offense would make significant strides outside of Fournette. The former two were safe assumptions, because we had seen that before, but all last season, it was clear that LSU was still lacking that great passing game needed to become the nation's elite.

Against the three best defenses the Tigers played last year—in the three losses that led to Miles' seat heating up—quarterback Brandon Harris was miserable, completing only 50 percent of his passes for 6.9 yards per attempt, three touchdowns, and four interceptions. It didn't bode well for this season.

After the Wisconsin game, it's clear Miles is up a creek. Harris didn't miraculously improve overnight, and the passing game was useless against a Wisconsin secondary that is actually rebuilding a bit this season, with the loss of its defensive coordinator (to LSU, ironically) and its two starting safeties. Harris' line: 12-for-21, for 131 yards, 6.2 yards per attempt, a touchdown, two interceptions, and a 6.9 quarterback rating. Nothing has changed from last season.

LSU will still be a fine team. It has a great defense and it has Leonard Fournette. But we learned last season that "fine" is not going to cut it for Miles at LSU. The benefit of the doubt that he got in the offseason is now gone, and unless there's a miraculous turnaround in LSU's passing game in week two, Miles is likely to lose his job.