LSU’s win over Texas A&M did more than just give the Tigers another convincing result in September. It kept them squarely in the College Football Playoff mix.
That’s where ESPN’s Heather Dinich has LSU in her latest projection of the CFP selection committee’s Top 12 after Week 4: No. 10, a spot that still leaves the Tigers in the field but also shows how crowded the race remains around them.
Dinich pointed to LSU’s 3-1 start and Saturday night’s strong showing against Texas A&M as the reason the Tigers are still alive in the conversation. She also noted that Clemson’s three straight wins since its season-opening loss to LSU help the Tigers’ case.
Even so, LSU remains behind Florida and Ole Miss in her projection because of head-to-head results, with the Rebels having beaten LSU last week in Oxford. LSU does not play Florida during the regular season, and Dinich said the committee has handled similar situations before by leaning on head-to-head results to sort teams that have already played each other.
There are still concerns that could hold LSU back. Dinich wrote that former coaches on the selection committee might focus on the Tigers’ issues with turnovers in the red zone and penalties.
At the same time, LSU still has paths to climb. Dinich said the pecking order could shift because the Tigers still have chances to beat Alabama and Texas, both ranked ahead of them in her projection. If LSU wins those games and Ole Miss picks up more losses, the Tigers can keep moving up.
The toughest test left on LSU’s schedule comes Nov. 14 against Texas. Dinich called the November stretch backloaded, with three of the final four games coming against ranked opponents. That home date with Texas could become a must-win if Ole Miss cannot beat Alabama the week before.
Dinich’s projected bracket would have LSU opening the playoff at No. 7 Indiana, with the winner advancing to face No.
2 Ohio State. The rest of the projected field includes first-round byes for No.
1 Texas, No. 2 Ohio State, No.
3 Georgia and No. 4 Miami, while the opening games would feature No.
12 Boise State at No. 5 Notre Dame, No.
11 BYU at No. 6 Alabama, and No.
9 Ole Miss at No. 8 Florida.
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LSUs Poll Position After That Win Says Plenty About The Tigers
LSUs latest surge still came with a familiar caveat in the polls, even after a convincing 35-6 win over Texas A&M. The Tigers held at No. 11 in the Coaches Poll and slipped one spot to No. 11 in the AP Top 25, a ranking that says as much about the national crowdedness around them as it does about their own performance. Floridas climb to No. 8 after beating Ole Miss was one of the bigger shifts near the top, but LSUs place remained a reminder that one big win does not always bring a corresponding leap.
For LSU, the more interesting part may be how little room there is left for error if the Tigers want the respect that usually comes with a late-season push. The AP list and the coaches version both showed movement elsewhere, with teams dropping out and others collecting votes, but LSU stayed planted just outside the top tier. In a week when some programs rose sharply and others faded from view, the Tigers were left in the middle, good enough to stay in the conversation but still waiting for the kind of change in perception that only comes with another statement win. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs SEC Push Suddenly Depends On How Far These Backups Can Go
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That has pushed backups like Landen Clark, Jackson Harris, Davhon Keys and Tamarcus Cooley into more important roles than LSU likely planned this early in the season. With linebacker Whit Weeks, quarterback Sam Leavitt, wide receiver Phillip Wright III, tight end TreyDez Green, linebacker Charles Ross II and safety Dashawn Spears all on the injury list, the Tigers push through the SEC may come down to how steady those reserve pieces can be while the staff waits for help to return. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Texas A&M Grades Revealed One Breakout And One Lingering Concern
Pro Football Focus latest grading from LSUs game against Texas A&M offered a tidy snapshot of where the Tigers found traction and where they still have work to do. Jackson Harris came out as the highest-graded offensive player with a 92.0 mark, while Tamarcus Cooley paced the defense at 87.7, giving LSU a couple of bright spots to point to after a matchup that demanded consistency on both sides of the ball.
The same report also flagged the Tigers rougher edges, with Jayce Brown drawing the lowest offensive grade and Dylan Carpenter landing at the bottom on defense. For LSU, that kind of split matters because it reinforces the difference between isolated standouts and full-game reliability, leaving the staff with clear evidence of who is elevating the group and where the lingering concern still sits. [Read more 🡒]