Wright Thompson: The Obsession of Les Miles

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"Any lesson learned is a scar," he says. "Any open sore is a wound. You want to show your scars. Be proud of the lessons learned."

"What is the loss in the BCS championship game?" I ask.

"Both," he says.

In the Superdome last January, Miles and his Tigers came out in the biggest game of their lives and did not fire. Alabama won 21-0, and in the process took something even more precious than a national title. The Crimson Tide made LSU look structurally inferior, made Nick Saban seem able to find answers to questions that Miles didn't know to ask.

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When the kick slips wide left, something happens. The carefully constructed circle breaks. Everyone can feel it: the crowd, the suddenly conservative defense on the field, the coaches calling the plays, the players on the sideline, even Miles. Alabama drives effortlessly downfield, the grandstands bleeding energy with each completion. Belief is hard to understand and harder to tame, and when it's gone, it's often gone for good. A.J. McCarron engineers a lethal two-minute drill, winning the game 21-17. At midfield, Saban tells Miles: "You guys outplayed us. You have a good team."

Outside the bubble, fans and pundits blame Miles. An offensive lineman on last year's team, T-Bob Hebert, lashes out on Twitter: "Coachin blew this game … A game in which LSU absolutely dominated; it's sad to see the players' hopes ruined by terrible decision making."

Inside the bubble, the Tigers enter the chute, some crying beneath their helmets, holding on to each other. Miles stands in the wide lobby between the tunnel and the locker room. He gathers the team. The only noise comes from a few intermittent sobs. His voice is soft. Nobody gave them a chance, he says, but they proved something about themselves. He tells them he's proud of them and that he's sorry for the calls that didn't work. His voice rises.

"We are all miserable," he booms. "I thought you played your asses off."

Players bow their heads as he starts the prayer.

"Dear Lord," he says, "we fought valiantly … "

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From the podcast: "One of our favorite franchises [LSU], we went down to the LSU-Alabama game a couple weeks ago, sent 43 writers, editors and phtographers down there [Baton Rouge], to show you from the minute they paint the field, to Les Miles' post game speech..."

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