DALLAS — LSU’s berth in the national championship game can be traced back to its two-point loss to Tennessee in the SEC tournament. The Tigers played a nonconference schedule void of any competition even close to their level and had played only a few close contests, all within the final weeks of the regular season. Then they let go of a 17-point lead against Tennessee, an experienced squad desperate for a signature win, and it seemed fitting.
A largely untested team was seeing what it was like to be battle-tested too late to make a serious run to a national championship.