Playoff Odds: LSU's Path to December
The committee placed the Tigers at No. 14, a spot that requires winning against Alabama and other ranked foes to secure a bid.
By Jack Weber ·
LSU sits outside the 12-team College Football Playoff field in the initial rankings released Tuesday night. The selection committee placed the Tigers at No. 14, meaning they are currently on the bubble. The team faces a critical test this weekend against Alabama, the No. 5 seed, in Tiger Stadium.
The Tigers hold a 6-2 record overall and 3-2 in the SEC. They are currently the seventh-ranked team in the conference. Their remaining schedule includes hosting Texas, the No. 7 seed, on Nov. 14. They will then travel to play Tennessee, the No. 13 seed, on Nov. 21. The regular season concludes with a road game against unranked Arkansas on Nov. 28.
A win against Alabama is the primary requirement for the Tigers to rise in the standings. If LSU defeats all three ranked opponents, they will climb the rankings. However, a loss to one of these teams could still leave them in contention if they win their other two games. The committee's projections suggest that two victories may be sufficient to secure a spot if the team loses one of the ranked matchups.
Alabama faces different pressure this weekend. The Crimson Tide, who are 6-2 overall and 4-2 in the SEC, have a lighter November schedule. Their remaining games are against Vanderbilt, Auburn, and Chattanooga. Vanderbilt and Auburn have a combined 2-9 record in SEC play, while Chattanooga is an FCS opponent.
The committee gave Alabama a high initial ranking of No. 5 despite limited results against ranked competition. The Tide have only one win against a currently ranked team, Kentucky. Kentucky was unranked at the time of that game. Alabama also defeated Mississippi State before the Bulldogs fell out of the top 25. The Crimson Tide lost consecutive games to Georgia and Tennessee earlier in the season.
In the final December rankings, an SEC team must be in the top 11 to make the field. This is because a Group of Six school is guaranteed a bid, similar to Tulane's inclusion in the 2025 playoff. Boise State is the highest-ranked Group of Six team in the current list, holding the No. 25 spot.
Other SEC teams in the top 25 include No. 2 Georgia, No. 6 Kentucky, No. 10 Ole Miss, No. 18 Missouri, No. 21 South Carolina, and No. 24 Florida. The Big Ten features No. 4 Indiana, No. 8 UCLA, No. 12 Ohio State, No. 19 Iowa, No. 20 Southern Cal, and No. 23 Oregon. Miami leads the ACC at No. 1, while Wake Forest is No. 16. The Big 12 is represented by No. 3 Utah, No. 9 BYU, No. 15 Texas Tech, No. 17 Houston, and No. 22 Arizona.
