Column: LSU not out of it, but sure looks out of it

• Tigers still have South Carolina, Alabama ahead
• Florida physically dominates LSU
• Confusion on sidelines once again trouble the Tigers

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The way the Southeastern Conference is, No. 3 LSU's 14-6 loss to No. 11 Florida on Saturday could end up being meaningless. That is, if the Tigers win out.

By winning out, that would mean it would have a victory over No. 1 Alabama. Then if it defeats Florida, South Carolina or Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, it would have a chance to reach the BCS title game if two other major powers like Oregon or West Virginia or even Notre Dame are not undefeated.

Unfortunately for the Tigers' faithful, LSU (5-1,1-1 SEC) looked like an 8-4 team on Saturday, and there is a clear and present danger that it could be 1-2 in the SEC after playing high flying South Carolina this coming Saturday night.

The Gamecocks destroyed No. 5 Georgia Saturday night and may have the two best players in the country in defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and tailback Marcus Lattimore.

Florida (5-0, 4-0 SEC) is not as good as South Carolina or Alabama, but it physically pummeled the Tigers Saturday particularly in the second half, which is exactly what LSU did to Florida last season in a 41-11 win. Gators' tailback Mike Gillislee gained 34 yards on 12 carries in the first half and finished with a whopping 146 on 34 carries.

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LSU was down by just eight points for nearly the entire fourth quarter but looked defeated. There was no way it was coming back.

This is a sloppy, uninspired, average football team. It has had its share of injuries. Another starter went down Saturday. Starting right guard Josh Williford left the game early in the second quarter with what appeared to be a concussion. The offensive line has already been missing stud left tackle Chris Faulk, and it is struggling to replace him.

Alex Hurst, the former right tackle, started again at left tackle over Josh Dworaczyk, but LSU still had trouble protecting the quarterback. Zach Mettenberger was sacked four times. The line also did not provide a lot of running room as LSU's tailbacks managed just 42 yards on 25 carries.

But forget the numbers. LSU just looks bad before, during and after plays. It is not playing the game right. Pre-snap penalties, fumbles, dropped passes and more sideline issues from the coach Les "Mad Hatter" Miles.

Still, the Tigers were leading 3-0 late in the second quarter because of a strong defense, and they got a chance to put this type of game nearly out of reach.

A sack and fumble recovery by defensive end Barkevious Mingo gave them a first and goal at the Florida 7-yard line with 2:02 to go in the first half. But they had to settle for a field goal and 6-0 lead. On third and goal at the 4,Miles had to call back-to-back timeouts. He said it was because his headphones were not working, but it might have more to do with what's under the hat.

Quarterback Zach Mettenberger said they sent him the wrong play for the personnel in the game. When they did get the play sent in properly, Miles' telegraphed that something funny was up by inserting wide receiver Terrence Magee, who has rarely played this season.

Magee was supposed to fake a run, then throw a jump pass to the tight end. Cute idea. That's what former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow did against LSU for a touchdown in the same situation six years ago. It didn't work.

"We just should've got it in there," tailback Spencer Ware said. "You get a chance like that, you have to score a touchdown."

LSU lost a regular-season game for the first time since the 2010 season. It clearly looked as thought it could lose a couple more.

"It's weird," defensive end Sam Montgomery said. "This is my second loss in LSU history that I played in. I was hurt for the two losses in 2010. We've got some real sad faces. The leaders of this team have to come together now."

What's really weird is no one really seems to know why LSU keeps fumbling and bumbling for three weeks now.

"Honestly, I don't know," Miles said. "If anybody knows, I'd be for it."

He was answering a question about the dropped passes, but it could have been about the fumbles, the penalties, the sacks, the lack of offense, the sideline.

"There's something different about this team that we need to get fixed in a hurry," Ware said.

Asked how that can be done, Ware paused for a long time. "I don't know," he finally said.

Glenn Guilbeau also writes for Gannett Louisiana