“LSU is the true No. 1 in a loaded College Football Playoff field“ Link added

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It wasn't a crazy narrative. Ole Miss -- before mimicking dogs or firing coaches or hiring Lane Kiffin -- put up a mind-boggling 614 yards on LSU's defense. Sure, the Tigers won easily, but boy that defense. No way this was the No. 1 team in the country.

And now?

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That bad LSU defense has now given up only 42% completions, 2.6 yards per rush and racked up 12 sacks in the three games since the Ole Miss debacle. Yes, this is probably the country's No. 1 team.

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Meanwhile Saturday, Ohio State made the case a bit easier for the committee, too. The Buckeyes had dominated Wisconsin in the teams' previous meeting this season, but they looked lost in a woeful first half that ended with a 21-7 Badgers lead and a flurry of analysts wondering what this all means.

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Is LSU's defense good enough to win it all? Answer: For sure. There's an adjustment period for any defense when the offense starts scoring the way LSU has this season. The tempo changes, the approach changes, the foundation of what LSU wanted to do defensively changed. But Stingley is still a superstar, Grant Delpit is still a first-round NFL talent and Dave Aranda still knows how to coach 'em up. The Tigers are hitting their stride at just the right time.

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Is Ohio State No. 1? Answer: Nope. That's no knock on the Buckeyes, but their game Saturday showed flaws we hadn't seen before. It showed strengths, too, to come back and erase that Wisconsin lead to pull away with what was ultimately a fairly easy win. Still, this is nitpicking time, and comparing the résumés of Ohio State and LSU requires a magnifying glass to parse. The slow start against Wisconsin is enough to push LSU -- with its wins over Texas, Florida, Auburn, Alabama and Georgia -- into the top spot.

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