Ed Orgeron can relax.

Well, he can relax as much as an LSU coach can while preparing to play Alabama.

Less than a month ago, critics were examining the terms of Orgeron’s contract buyout and seriously wondering whether he should survive his first full season on the job. But such talk has ceased, at least temporarily, thanks to a three-game winning streak.

In some ways, Orgeron has the Tigers where he’s supposed to have them. Yes, LSU was expected to be ranked higher than No. 23. It shouldn’t have two losses before Halloween and definitely shouldn’t have lost to Troy.

But they are supposed to be — at least in the minds of their most passionate supporters — a primary contender for the SEC West title. And, lo and behold, LSU will enter November knowing that it controls its fate in the SEC West.

Now, how realistic it is for the Tigers to run the table by knocking off the top-ranked Crimson Tide on Nov. 4 in Tuscaloosa, then beating Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas A&M? That’s a separate issue. The point is that none of the stuff that had critics suggesting Orgeron can’t handle this job has taken his team out of the SEC race two-thirds of the way through the season.

Not the blowout loss at Mississippi State, not the epic failure against Troy, not the 20-point deficit against Auburn. In fact, in some ways those shortcomings contribute to the notion that Orgeron — even if he doesn’t have a firm grip on this position — might at least be growing into it.

Orgeron’s team has followed its early stumbles with three straight SEC wins — gutting out a one-point win at Florida when the Gators were No. 20, overcoming that 20-point deficit with a 27-3 blitz the rest of the way when Auburn was No. 10, then taking care of business against outmanned Ole Miss in a 40-24 road triumph last Saturday.

Now undefeated Alabama is the only team in the SEC West ahead of 3-1 LSU. The Tigers have beaten one of the other teams with one conference loss (Auburn) and have a chance to knock off the other (Texas A&M).

In the four games before Ole Miss, Derrius Guice rushed for 211 total yards. He eclipsed that easily Saturday with 276.

One factor in LSU losing two of three and falling out of the Top 25 was injuries which hampered three major players — running back Derrius Guice, defensive lineman Rashard Lawrence and linebacker Arden Key.

Now each has gotten healthier and tackle Toby Weathersby returned from injury against Ole Miss.

In that game Guice rushed for a season-high 276 yards, which included runs of 59, 48, 33 and 26 yards — his longest gains of the season.

Key had his second straight multi-sack game and Lawrence had a quarterback hurry as the Tigers stymied Rebels quarterback Shea Patterson, the leading passer in the SEC who was injured in the game.

LSU has been getting better for three weeks. Now it has two weeks to get ready for its potential season-turning game against the Crimson Tide.

LSU has lost six straight to Alabama, the Tigers' longest skid in the series since they lost 11 in a row from 1971-81.

So this Tigers season wasn’t defined by the loss to Mississippi State or even the loss against Troy.

In fact, there is much work yet before this season is fully defined.

A victory against Bama would vault LSU in the rankings. Three more wins to close the regular season would trigger a continued, steady ascension. Win the SEC championship and who knows where that might lead?

Orgeron’s team has put itself in the thick of the SEC West race, and the villagers have put away the pitchforks.

And Orgeron can breathe a little easier — until Nov. 4.