Commentary

LSU's golden opportunity

The Tigers have a national title in their sights. But 2012's team might be even better.

Updated: November 26, 2011, 12:55 PM ET

By KC Joyner | ESPN Insider

One of the motivating factors that drove Vince Lombardi during the Green Bay Packers' 1967 season was the chance to win three straight NFL championships, a feat that had only been accomplished one other time in NFL history (1929-31 Green Bay Packers).

Having that rare opportunity stoked Lombardi to push his aging and injured team to overcome the obstacles of a difficult campaign and reach its goal with a win in Super Bowl II.

It's clearly a bit early for the LSU Tigers to be thinking about this sort of thing, with an SEC title-game matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs next week and a likely national championship game appearance after that, but LSU head coach Les Miles could have a similar type of rare motivational opportunity in 2012 if he can get his team to win its next two games and a national title.

Since 1964, the year when college football changed its substitution rules to allow for two-platoon football, the only program to post back-to-back undefeated and untied national championship seasons is the 1994 and '95 Nebraska Cornhuskers.

As difficult as it would be to achieve that accomplishment playing in the SEC, the most talented conference in college football, a close review of the Tigers' situation shows that LSU may be about as close to perfectly set up for such a feat as is possible.

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