After being unranked for most of the season, LSU is suddenly in conversations for the College Football Playoff. A loss to the Florida State Seminoles in Week 1 seemed like it would dictate the Tigers' season, but that was far from the truth.

Since then, LSU has lost only one game, when it faced the CFP contender Tennessee Volunteers. On Saturday, the Tigers had their biggest matchup of the 2022 season against the then-No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide. In an overtime thriller and gutsy two-point call by Brian Kelly, LSU came away with a 32-31 victory. This win should skyrocket the Tigers in the CFP rankings.

With that being said, here are three reasons the LSU Tigers are a legitimate College Football Playoff threat.

3. The Tigers are winning big games

One of the biggest things that the CFP committee takes into consideration is the strength of the team's schedule. Luckily for the Tigers, theirs look like a perfect one for a top team.

LSU's only losses came from schools that are currently ranked. No. 25 Florida State and No. 1 in the CFP initial rankings Tennessee, which is understandable when considering those matchups. But the Tigers had big statement victories against Ole Miss and most notably Alabama.

Playing in the SEC will be an advantage the Tigers can lean upon, due to the difficult schedule LSU plays. Getting results against some of their more difficult opponents is living proof that LSU can hang with the best of the bunch. The Tigers are showing that, if selected for the CFP, they can put up a fight.

If LSU keeps its hot streak and wins out during its final regular-season games, the Tigers should be at the very least in the top six. If they win the SEC Championship Game against Georgia or Tennessee, they should be a lock for the CFP.

2. Brian Kelly has postseason and CFP experience

After six years with the Tigers, head coach Ed Orgeron left the team following the 2021 season. Under Orgeron, LSU made five bowl appearances and won the national championship in 2019. Without him, there were many questions surrounding the Tigers for the 2022 season.

LSU ended up hiring longtime Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly to replace Orgeron. Luckily for LSU fans, Kelly has plenty of postseason experience and has quickly shaken off the slow start in order to get the Tigers in prime position to pursue a playoff push.

With Kelly leading the charge, Notre Dame had four New Year's Six bowl appearances, including a CFP Championship Game matchup against Alabama.

Overall, Kelly went 92-40 in 12 seasons. Prior to his tenure, the Fighting Irish had one bowl win in 15 years. It shows how impactful his hiring was for the program, and it seems it could be the same in Baton Rouge. The Tigers are coming off two down seasons, and early on, Kelly looks like he was the perfect choice to rebuild the team's reputation.

He has experience coaching in postseason games, including the CFP and his resume alone gives LSU reason for optimism in big games. Now that they've pulled off some big wins of their own, the Tigers could be entering the mix for CFP contention.

1. Jayden Daniels is having a Heisman-worthy season

Perhaps the biggest reason for LSU's recent success in 2022 is Jayden Daniels. The quarterback played his first three seasons with the Arizona State Sun Devils, leading them to a bowl win in 2019 after defeating three ranked teams in Michigan State, California, and Oregon. With the Sun Devils, Daniels completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 6,025 yards and 32 scores and 13 picks across three seasons. He also registered 1,288 yards on the ground for 13 touchdowns.

When he transferred to LSU, the Tigers immediately became a better team, and he quickly beat out Myles Brennan for the starting role. So far in the season, Daniels has completed 69.8 percent of his pass attempts for 1,994 yards and 14 touchdowns against just one pick. He has also 131 rush attempts for 619 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Daniels is in the top 20 for rushing touchdowns in the country and ranks 12th across the FBS with his completion percentage, which tops the likes of fellow star quarterbacks such as Georgia's Stetson Bennett and Heisman contender C.J. Stroud from Ohio State.

According to FanDuel, Daniels has the seventh-best odds of winning the Heisman Trophy with +1600. He is ahead of Bennett and reigning winner Alabama's Bryce Young.

His dual-threat abilities make LSU's offense flow better. He gives more options to Kelly and requires adjustments from opponents' defenses. His performances alone are putting the Tigers back on the college football map. Should he continue to play at a high level, the CFP hopes will only increase.

All things considered, LSU would not be where it is now without Daniels. His transfer commitment could be the best thing that has happened with the Tigers since Joe Burrow's 2019 Heisman year and the national title. As long as he stays healthy, expect LSU to be a legitimate CFP threat until the end of the year.