It wasn’t long ago that LSU was sputtering. Calls rang out from all corners of Baton Rouge and the internet, saying that Tigers coach Les Miles needed to adapt his philosophy if he hoped to compete this year. True to form, Miles ignored all of the outside noise and stuck to his guns.

LSU is now 7-2, 3-2 in the SEC, just about a month after asking whether the Tigers could finish 0-8 in the SEC wasn’t such an absurd question. LSU’s running game was stuck in the mud, it’s defense couldn’t slow down opponents and the quarterback situation looked to be a mess.

So what did Miles do in the face of the criticism that comes with an 0-2 start in the conference, an inconsistent offense and a maddening defense? Not much, other than a recommitment to the run (and complete disregard for the passing game). Like his rival at Alabama, Miles simply had his players continue playing just the way they had been. The most significant thing to have changed is the results.

LSU is handing the ball off about four more times per game in their recent three game winning streak, although at only about 0.5 yards per carry more. The Tigers have cut their passing attempts by about six per game since their record stood at 4-2, and they’re completing a little more than 6 percent fewer of those attempts.

The funny thing is, Miles actually talked about change following LSU’s first loss of the season, a near-comeback against the now-No. 1 Mississippi State Bulldogs. He insisted the team would throw more, likely because of the success freshman quarterback Brandon Harris had late in relief of Anthony Jennings.

“I think you’ll look forward to seeing more balls in the air as we go forward,” Miles said after the Mississippi State loss.

And the Tigers did throw the ball pretty well the following week, once Harris again relieved Jennings. Even the following week, when LSU traveled to Auburn and suffered an embarrassing defeat, Miles could be seen on the sidelines looking like he was telling his coaching staff that the team needed to throw it more.

None of that has come to pass, literally. Instead, Miles has relied on a veteran offensive line that he touted before the season as one of his best in his decade in Baton Rouge. That line struggled early, but has since gelled around senior leaders La’el Collins and Elliott Porter.

The formula LSU is using to batter teams since the Auburn loss is similar to Miles’ M.O. Outside of a year with JaMarcus Russell here, a strong campaign from Zach Mettenberger there, Miles has operated with game-managing quarterbacks, bruising running games and nasty defenses.

Jennings is the game-manager archetype, doing very little to lose games and making only the absolutely necessary throws. The defense, a major sore spot early, has shored up in recent. John Chavis’ unit, which has ranked in the top-15 in the nation in total defense for the last four seasons, has climbed right back to that kind of high ranking. The Tigers sit at No. 15 currently, allowing 318.1 yards per game. They’re No. 4 in the country in pass defense, and have even gotten their run defense to a middle-of-the-pack No. 64 ranking.

Even Nick Saban, the former LSU coach who will lead the Crimson Tide into Tiger Stadium on Saturday, has begun to bend to the trends of college football. He brought in Lane Kiffin as his offensive coordinator this year, incorporating some elements of the spread offenses that are all the rage across the college football landscape.

The Mad Hatter has remained steadfast, though, despite the occasional hint that things could change. Even on Monday, Miles did it again, saying, “hopefully, there will be some surprise,” in the offense against Alabama this weekend.

“We’re always searching for balance. There’s an opportunity to achieve some of that in this game,” Miles said in his Monday press conference.

That’s great lip service to hear from Miles, and maybe it will keep Saban and his staff on their toes. If Les is the guy we think he is, though, expect more of the same.

And you know what? Right now, there’s nothing wrong with that.