LSU has climbed into ESPN’s latest College Football Playoff projection, but the Tigers still aren’t safely in the field.
In Heather Dinich’s updated Top 12 after Week 9, LSU landed at No. 12. That spot would put the Tigers on the edge of the bracket, though not necessarily in the actual 12-team playoff, since the highest-ranked Group of Six conference champion gets an automatic bid.
The Tigers are 6-2 and have won their last two games, taking down Mississippi State and Auburn. That run has pushed LSU into the bubble conversation as November arrives, with Alabama up next on Saturday and a brutal stretch still ahead.
Dinich’s breakdown makes the case that LSU has at least earned a look. The Tigers were idle in Week 9, but moved into the bubble spot after their Week 8 win over Auburn.
ESPN noted that the selection committee would likely place LSU behind the two teams it lost to, Ole Miss and Kentucky, but the Tigers have also outscored their last two SEC opponents by a combined 69-17. The close loss at Kentucky, decided by one point in overtime on the road, and the loss at Ole Miss under what Dinich described as unusually emotional circumstances with coach Lane Kiffin’s first return to Oxford, are both factors she said could come up in the committee’s discussion.
There’s still a catch, though: LSU has not yet delivered the kind of signature win that usually settles the argument. Dinich wrote that the Tigers are still searching for their first true statement win, and that their victory at Auburn was their first road win of the season. The committee, of course, won’t look ahead, even if the schedule is about to get nasty.
And nasty is the right word. ESPN Analytics says LSU has the toughest remaining schedule in the country, and the Tigers are coming out of a bye week with three straight games against ranked opponents: Alabama, Texas and Tennessee. ESPN’s FPI gives LSU a 55% chance to beat Alabama in Saturday’s game.
The first official College Football Playoff rankings will be released Tuesday, November 3, at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Dinich’s projected bracket has first-round byes for No. 1 Miami, No.
2 Georgia, No. 3 BYU and No.
4 Notre Dame. The first-round matchups would send No.
12 Boise State, the highest Group of 6 team, to No. 5 Utah; No.
11 Ole Miss to No. 6 Indiana; No.
10 Ohio State to No. 7 UCLA; and No.
9 Texas to No. 8 Kentucky.
The quarterfinals in that projection would feature the Boise State-Utah winner against Notre Dame, the Ole Miss-Indiana winner against BYU, the Ohio State-UCLA winner against Georgia, and the Texas-Kentucky winner against Miami.
In Other News...
LSU Just Changed A Game Day Tradition Before Alabama Weekend
LSU is tightening its game day playbook ahead of the Alabama weekend, and the changes go well beyond what happens between the lines. University officials announced new safety measures aimed at student gatherings after recent incidents involving uncontrolled crowds and disruptive behavior on campus, a sign that the school is trying to get ahead of the kind of chaos that can spill over when one of the seasons biggest home dates arrives.
The new policy includes bans on unauthorized large events, mandatory shutdowns of student tailgates before kickoff and postgame restrictions, all part of an effort to keep campus safer and more orderly on football Saturdays. LSU also is creating a Football Tailgating Steering Committee to oversee the process, underscoring how seriously the school is treating the push to preserve a family-friendly atmosphere around Tiger Stadium. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Just Got An Early Reality Check For LSU Showdown
The first betting line for LSUs Week 10 trip to Alabama already says plenty about how this matchup is being viewed heading into the 2026 college football season. LSU opened as a 4-point favorite in a game that figures to carry real weight in both the SEC race and the College Football Playoff picture, with both teams ranked and carrying similar records into a meeting that comes after bye weeks.
For Alabama, it is an early reminder that the script around this rivalry may be shifting, even if the history still leans heavily in its favor. The Crimson Tide own a 58-27-5 edge all-time and have won the last three meetings, but the market is treating this one like a true toss-up with LSU holding the early edge, which only adds another layer to a game that already feels like one of the leagues biggest measuring sticks. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Landed An Elite Big With Huge Long Term Upside
LSUs 2027 recruiting class got another major boost with the commitment of Xavier Young, a five-star big who has reclassified from the 2028 class. The move gives the Tigers an even more impressive foundation in a cycle that is already drawing attention, and it comes with the kind of long-term upside programs build around when they land an elite frontcourt prospect this early.
Young pointed to his trust in LSUs coaching staff and the chance to develop sooner against stronger competition as key parts of his decision. For the Tigers, it is another sign that the pitch is resonating with top talent, and another reason this class is starting to look like one that could shape the programs future well beyond the next season. [Read more 🡒]