LSU has done enough through eight games to stay in the College Football Playoff conversation. The bigger question is how the selection committee will size up the Tigers when the first rankings drop Tuesday.
At 6-2, LSU has steadied itself with back-to-back wins after the loss to Kentucky, but the résumé is still a work in progress. The Tigers have a few results that jump off the page - a 51-10 rout of Clemson, a 35-6 dismantling of Texas A&M and a 38-17 win at Auburn - yet they also carry two losses that will shape how the committee views them.
That tension is what makes LSU such a fascinating case heading into the first release. The Tigers opened with authority, rolling past Clemson and then Louisiana Tech 45-14.
Their first setback came at Ole Miss, where they fell 32-24 on the road. LSU answered with its best showing of the season against Texas A&M, then beat McNeese 63-14 before dropping a 35-34 overtime game at Kentucky.
Since that one-point loss, LSU has looked more like the team it expected to be. The Tigers shut out Mississippi State 31-0 and followed that with the win at Auburn, giving them a little momentum at the right time.
Still, the committee won’t just look at the record and move on. LSU’s loss to Ole Miss matters because it was head-to-head, and the Rebels sit a few spots ahead of the Tigers in the latest AP Poll. That kind of comparison can carry real weight if the committee sees the two teams as close.
The wins matter too, especially the 29-point victory over Texas A&M. LSU also has that convincing opening-night win over Clemson, though the value of that result depends in part on how Clemson’s season is judged.
LSU is not alone in waiting to see where it lands. Ole Miss, Wake Forest, Texas Tech, Tennessee, Houston and USC are all within three spots of the Tigers and worth watching as the committee starts sorting out the field.
And as always, the committee’s process goes beyond wins and losses. Strength of schedule, head-to-head results and common opponents all come into play, which means LSU’s schedule and specific results will shape its place in the rankings.
Tuesday’s first reveal will only be a snapshot, but it should tell LSU plenty about how the committee views its body of work so far. The Tigers still have a chance to change that picture.
Coming off the bye, LSU returns to Tiger Stadium to host Alabama on Nov. 7. After that, the Tigers get Texas at home before finishing the regular season on the road against Tennessee and Arkansas.
That stretch gives LSU a real chance to improve its standing, especially with three SEC games left that could ripple through the playoff picture. The defense’s shutout of Mississippi State and the offense’s complete performance against Auburn offered something to build on during the bye week.
Now the challenge is carrying that forward. A strong November could reshape LSU’s playoff case. Another loss would make the climb much steeper.
For now, the Tigers have shown they can hang with top competition. The next step is proving they can keep turning those flashes into the kind of wins that move them up the board.
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Next up is a trip through one of the toughest stretches on the schedule, starting with No. 5 Alabama in a game that could reshape LSUs position almost immediately. Three of the Tigers final four regular-season opponents are ranked in the top 13, so there is no shortage of chances to strengthen their case, but also very little margin for error. [Read more 🡒]