Simple math proves many Tiger fans need major reality-check!

In the 18 years since the SEC has had 12 teams, two divisions and a conference championship game,
LSU has advanced to the championship game 4 times, which is 22% of the time.

The most appearances by a team from the West is 7 by Alabama, or 39% of the time. Auburn and Arkansas have had 3 appearances each (17%), and Miss St has had 1 (6%). Ole Miss has not yet played in a conference championship game (0%).

Besides Ole Miss, three teams from the East have never played in the SECCG (S. Carolina, Vanderbilt and Kentucky).

The West team has won the SECCG 7 times, or 39% of the time. The East has won 11 times (61%).

Today, there are more great coaches and much more parity in the SEC. Certainly, it can be expected that S. Carolina and Ole Miss will begin winning a bigger share of division titles, since they have been shut out prior to now. Even Kentucky and Vanderbilt would be expected to occasionally win a division title from here on out. And as those teams begin winning more, the division title percentages of the more successful teams during the first 18 years will necessarily be reduced accordingly.

But let's ignore the new parity reality, and assume LSU continues to represent the West at its same rate of 22% of the time.

Then, let's assume LSU wins the conference championship 50% of the time it plays. (Historically the West has won only 39%.)

Based upon those assumptions, LSU can realistically anticipate winning an SEC Championship 11% of the time, or once every 9 years.

If the SEC Champion makes it into the BCS title game half the time (a very generous assumption over the long-term), then LSU can realistically expect to play for a national championship once every 18 years.

And, if we win 50% of our BCS title games, LSU can realistically expect to win a national championship once every 36 years.

The above represent realistic expectations based upon actual historic data and somewhat generous assumptions of future LSU performances within the new parody of the SEC.

These projections illustrate how incredibly fortunate we have been to have won 2 BCS titles in the last 7 years.

And, despite obvious long odds against us, it is still possible for LSU to play for another BCS title this season.

So here we are once again in 2010, in another national title discussion. Yet, many Tiger fans have nothing positive to say.

And, if we had just prevented 1 or 2 big plays at Auburn, we could very well be 8-0 and ranked #1 or #2 in the current BCS poll.

It seems to me that Coach Les Miles and this 2010 football team deserve just a little more support, a little more credit and a lot more respect from many so-called Tiger fans.