Joel Klatt sees a path for a 9-3 SEC team to still crash the College Football Playoff, and he’s pointing to LSU as the school that slips through.
The 2026 college football season has already been described as one of the most unpredictable in recent memory, with some comparisons being made to 2007 - the benchmark year for chaos in the sport. That season famously ended with LSU earning a BCS National Championship bid despite two regular-season losses. Klatt thinks the Tigers could do something similar this fall, even if they take a third defeat.
“Where are we at with the No. 11 seed? It is crazy… [we’ll] have a bunch of 9-3 teams in the SEC… I’m looking at four candidates… LSU, Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee,” Klatt said. “I think one of those [schools] gets the last spot.”
Klatt laid out the scenario on his show, saying LSU would beat Alabama and Tennessee in November, while Kentucky would stumble twice down the stretch. In his view, that leaves the Tigers positioned to jump into the field.
“LSU will have [lost to Texas and] beaten Alabama and Tennessee in November,” Klatt said. “I’ve got Kentucky with two losses in November.
So, I’ve got [LSU] arrow pointed straight up, [Kentucky] arrow pointed down. As we know, timing of losses makes an impact… LSU gets the No. 11 seed.”
There is still a wrinkle in the picture: head-to-head results. The committee showed last season that it will consider direct competition if teams are close in the rankings, and if Kentucky and LSU wind up adjacent, the Wildcats’ win over LSU could help Kentucky overtake them. Both LSU and Kentucky are on bye in Week 9.
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Kentucky Just Lost A Key 2027 Target At The Worst Spot
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Now Kentucky has to pivot again in its search for size, and the attention has already shifted to another towering target. Sherif Millogo, a 7-foot-5 center with notable skills, remains a key name in the Wildcats 2027 efforts, and losing Uvwo only raises the importance of landing the next big man on their board. [Read more 🡒]