That defense seems not the best, ala big 12 in the early 2010s, but the amount and quality of wins are enough I think to keep them here even though someone is trying to sneak up on them
1/2 in Tier B: Clemson has beaten teams by 11 more points on average, but LSU has played a much more difficult schedule and is still beating teams by 24 points on average. I would probably give Clemson the edge head-to-head on a neutral field, but based on what they've actually done I have to go with LSU.
I had been talking up the LSU run defense, which I thought was pretty good despite some struggles in downfield coverage. Then they gave up 400 rush yards at 9.1/carry to Ole Miss. (Related: Arkansas should really seriously consider Rich Rodriguez for their head coaching vacancy.)
LSU easily has the most impressive resume in the country, but not the most impressive or well-rounded performances. The relatively poor defense is going to hurt them in the Playoff.