ESPN’s latest College Football Playoff Bubble Watch has LSU still stuck on the outside after Week 7, with the Tigers sitting in the “wrong side of the bubble” group as the regular season enters its final five games.
At 5-2, LSU is joined there by Alabama, Texas and Florida. ESPN’s current projection has four SEC teams in the 12-team playoff field: Georgia, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Tennessee.
The Tigers still have a clear path to bolster their case, starting with Saturday’s road trip to Auburn. After that, LSU still has games left against Alabama, Texas, Tennessee and Arkansas.
Here’s how ESPN grouped the teams in its update:
“Would Be In: Georgia, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Tennessee
Wrong Side Of The Bubble: Florida, Texas, Alabama, LSU
Too Early To Tell: Mississippi State, Missouri, Auburn
Out: Oklahoma, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Arkansas, Vanderbilt”
The projection also laid out the current seeding picture. Under ESPN’s bracket, the first-round byes would go to No.
1 Miami as the ACC champion, No. 2 Ohio State as the Big Ten champion, No.
3 BYU as the Big 12 champion and No. 4 Notre Dame.
The first-round games, set for campus sites on Dec. 18 and 19, would match No. 12 Boise State, the highest Group of 6 team, at No.
5 Indiana; No. 11 Utah at No.
6 Georgia, the SEC champion; No. 10 Tennessee at No.
7 Ole Miss; and No. 9 Kentucky at No.
8 UCLA.
That would set up quarterfinal games of Boise State or Indiana against Notre Dame, Utah or Georgia against BYU, Tennessee or Ole Miss against Ohio State, and Kentucky or UCLA against Miami.
In Other News...
Arch Manning's Texas Slide Is Suddenly Worth Watching At LSU
Arch Mannings first season as Texas starter has turned into one of the most closely watched storylines in the sport, and the ripple effects are reaching well beyond Austin. The Longhorns have already taken two losses before the end of October, and Manning has not matched the expectations that followed him into the job, which has only sharpened the pressure around Steve Sarkisians offense.
For LSU, the intrigue is obvious because any long-range Manning watch inevitably invites a look at potential landing spots if the quarterback decides to stay in college beyond the 2027 NFL Draft. Sarkisian has already hinted at more work for backup KJ Lacey, even if a full benching has not been announced, and that uncertainty has only fueled the idea that Mannings next move could become one of the bigger offseason plotlines in the SEC. Georgia, Ole Miss and Oregon are part of that conversation too, but LSU will be paying close attention if the slide continues. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs New International Class Could Change The Tigers Right Away
LSUs roster rebuild has taken on a distinctly international flavor, and the early buzz around it is hard to miss. Three newcomers on the mens basketball team were placed among the top 10 incoming international players in the NCAA by college basketball analytics expert Evan Miyakawas BPR metric, a sign that the Tigers may have added more than just depth for the upcoming season.
Saliou Niang landed at No. 2 on the list, with Michael Ruzic at No. 7 and Brice Dessert at No. 8. For LSU, the appeal goes beyond rankings alone, because those three are expected to factor heavily into the rotation right away, giving the Tigers a group of newcomers that could influence how quickly this team settles in once the season opens. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Faces A Pivotal Auburn Test In A Brutal Road Spot
ESPNs Bill Connelly sees LSU heading into one of the more revealing stretches of its season with a trip to Auburn, where the Tigers will be tested by a defense that has already shown it can make life difficult for a top-tier SEC opponent. LSU has leaned on an offense built around Sam Leavitts efficiency in an RPO-heavy attack, and the pass rush has given the team another edge, with Princewill Umanmielen and Deuce Geralds helping set the tone up front.
There is also more than just one game hanging over this trip. LSU is projected to be a slight favorite in its remaining games, which keeps the path to the SEC championship game in play, but Auburns upset of Georgia serves as a reminder that this is not the kind of road spot anyone should take lightly. For LSU, the challenge is as much about surviving a difficult environment as it is about proving its balance can travel when the stakes start to tighten. [Read more 🡒]