After Alabama stuffed Leonard Fournette, the nation’s leading rusher, Les Miles chose to look far into the distance.

“There’s going to be next year, and the opportunity to get them in our stadium,” the LSU coach said just after Saturday’s game.

But in the mean time, what do the Tigers have to play for? It is possible to be a part of the College Football Playoff?

The odds are against a second Alabama loss in the SEC. The Tigers need help from Mississippi State on Saturday or Auburn on Nov. 28.

“We’ve got a really good team and a lot to play for,” Miles said this week. “If you stay once defeated, the back end of this thing, you just never can tell. There’s too much to play for.”

Miles said he won’t be among the scoreboard watchers, following Alabama’s game in Starkville.

“I watch not a snap of football on a Saturday when I’m preparing to play.” he said, admitting, “Certainly a score that would help my team, I would certainly make sure that they knew.”

If Alabama stumbles, LSU still must win out to still have a chance at the SEC West title, including Saturday’s game against an Arkansas team coming off an emotional, overtime win at Ole Miss.

Should LSU root for chaos, meaning a slew of one-loss teams that could cause the College Football Playoff Committee to look again at two SEC teams in the semifinals, which it had in the first rankings.

Which begs the question, which is most likely, another Alabama loss, a Clemson loss to South Carolina or North Carolina, or Big Ten and Big 12 teams beating up on each other?

Any LSU playoff scenario requires the Tigers to win out (over Arkansas, Ole Miss and Texas A&M).

But if the six current undefeated teams also win out, there would be a lot of competition for not only the four playoff spots, but the Big 6 bowl games.

However, Fournette could be a marketing and publicity trump card for any bowl committee.

Yet this season has a streaky nature to it for this LSU team, from the narrow wins against Mississippi State and Florida, to its five other wins of at least 10 points.