LSU needs a Magnolia miracle to keep Tigers' slim College Football Playoff dreams alive

Despite only having one loss so far this season, the LSU Tigers have extremely low playoff odds according to one major playoff model. According to ESPN's FPI, the LSU Tigers have only a 14 percent chance to make the playoff this season. Additionally, the squad is seen as the underdog by ESPN in a must-win game against Ole Miss as ESPN analytics predicts the Rebels have a 67 percent chance to beat the Tigers this week.

The Tigers suffered their only loss to USC to start the season on a neutral field. The program's 27-20 loss looked somewhat okay after Week 1 but the faltering play of the Trojans in recent weeks has made their opening loss to USC look a lot worse. The squad is likely regretting scheduling that game in the first place as the squad faces off against top-ranked Ole Miss this week.

While the Rebels played extremely poorly two weeks ago against a sneaky good Kentucky program, it's clear that Lane Kiffin's team is an offensive juggernaut. In all likelihood, star QB Garrett Nussmeier will need to lead the Tigers toward a big day if they want a shot at beating Ole Miss in an extremely tough matchup.

As the Tigers continue SEC in-conference play, the program is looking like they will need a magnolia miracle to beat the Rebels and keep their playoff hopes alive. This game could very well decide whether Kelly's squad is able to make the 12-team tournament this season.

LSU needs to beat Ole Miss

While the Tigers are the underdog going into this matchup, it's possible that LSU could end up winning this game with an epic performance from Nussmeier and company likely needed if they want to win. Additionally, the squad needs to look at the Ole Miss-Kentucky tape and see how they copy the Wildcats' defense from that game.

Although the Tigers can play copycat all day, it's hard to see a world where the Tigers can completely shut down the Ole Miss offense as the program is missing defensive star Harold Perkins Jr. for this matchup. While it's possible that the Tigers can win this game and start a winning streak, all of the numbers seem to suggest that LSU will need a miracle to keep their playoff dreams alive after this week.