Mark Ingram says LSU 'might be cooked' after Kentucky loss drops Tigers to 4-2

Former Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram II doesn't think LSU's season can take another hit. After the Tigers lost 35-34 in overtime at Kentucky last Saturday, Ingram said Lane Kiffin's first LSU team may already be out of the College Football Playoff picture.

Ingram gave his take on Tuesday's episode of the "Triple Option" podcast, as Pro Football Network reported. He went through what's left on the Tigers' schedule and sounded doubtful. "They might be cooked," Ingram said, according to Pro Football Network. He argued that LSU could easily lose one of its four big remaining games, though he added that the Tigers would make the playoff if they win out.

The Kentucky loss dropped LSU to 4-2. Its other loss came earlier in the season at Ole Miss. Four ranked opponents are still ahead: No. 16 Mississippi State, No. 6 Alabama, No. 7 Texas and No. 14 Tennessee. Ingram named all four, saying Alabama looks better and more physical than it has in recent years and calling Tennessee "never a slouch." LSU does get three of those four games in Baton Rouge.

Most of the criticism after the game in Lexington has gone to Kiffin. With 1:37 left, LSU faced fourth-and-1 at its own 43 and Kiffin chose to punt. Kentucky then drove the field, tied the game and won it in overtime. Pro Football Network noted that the punt was out of character for a coach known for aggressive play-calling.

Kiffin's arrival in Baton Rouge was expected to lift LSU into national contention right away. He left Ole Miss before the Rebels' first College Football Playoff run and rebuilt LSU's roster through the transfer portal, landing what the school calls the nation's top-ranked transfer class. His preseason push to bring back former NFL players who had been deemed eligible to return to college football also drew scrutiny, including legal action from the SEC, according to the outlet.

The numbers back up the concern. Pro Football Network's College Football Playoff Meter had LSU as one of the biggest movers of the week. The Tigers' playoff chances fell sharply from the 52.8 percent they held after Week 5.

The first of the four games Ingram flagged comes Saturday, when No. 16 Mississippi State (4-1) visits No. 22 LSU at noon Eastern on ESPN. Ingram singled out Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor. A third loss before the end of October would leave LSU with almost no margin for the rest of the season.

The market still has the Tigers clearly ahead. LSU is favored at -471 on Novig, one of the venues listing the game, and the best sportsbook price on LSU is -525 at BetMGM. The spread is LSU -13.5 and the total is 58.5. Full prices are on the Mississippi State at LSU odds page.

The two teams that have beaten LSU also play Saturday. No. 9 Ole Miss hosts No. 13 Missouri and is favored at -194 on Novig, with the spread at 5.5 (odds). No. 15 Kentucky goes to Oklahoma, where the Sooners are favored at -233 and by 6.5 points (odds).