LSU Ranked No. 14 in Initial CFP Rankings, One Spot Outside Playoff Field
The Tigers face No. 5 Alabama this weekend, a matchup that determines their path to a December decision.
By Sakura McCarthy ·
LSU sits at No. 14 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday night. That places the Tigers two spots outside the 12-team field if the tournament started today. The selection committee has outlined a specific route for New Orleans to secure a bid. The Tigers must navigate a gauntlet of ranked opponents in November. Their first test arrives this weekend in Tiger Stadium against Alabama, currently the No. 5 team in the country.
The committee released these initial standings on Tuesday. The rankings serve as a baseline for the final selection process. LSU enters the month with a 6-2 record and a 3-2 mark in SEC play. They are the seventh-ranked team in the conference. The schedule ahead includes home games against Texas and road trips to Tennessee and Arkansas. Texas holds the No. 7 spot, while Tennessee is ranked No. 13. Arkansas remains unranked in the current standings.
A win over Alabama this weekend is critical for the Crimson Tide. The team holds a 6-2 record and a 4-2 conference slate. Their remaining November schedule features only three opponents. Two of those teams, Vanderbilt and Auburn, are a combined 2-9 in SEC play. Their final regular-season game is against Chattanooga, an FCS squad. Alabama cannot afford a loss to LSU if they want to maintain their current standing in the committee's eyes.
The No. 5 ranking for Alabama surprised some observers. The Crimson Tide have only one win over a currently ranked team, Kentucky. That game occurred before Kentucky entered the top 25. They also defeated Mississippi State just before the Bulldogs fell out of the rankings without player Kamario Taylor. Alabama has lost back-to-back games to Georgia and Tennessee this season. The committee appears to be giving the team credit for its overall performance despite the recent losses.
LSU has a mathematical path to the top 11. If the Tigers beat all three ranked opponents this month, their ranking will rise. Even with one loss to a ranked team, two wins could be enough to enter the field. The final rankings will be released in December. An SEC team must finish in the top 11 to guarantee a spot. This is because one Group of Six school is always included in the 12-team bracket. Tulane received that automatic bid in the 2025 playoff.
The current top 25 reflects the strength of various conferences. In the SEC, Georgia is ranked No. 2 and Kentucky is No. 6. Ole Miss sits at No. 10, Missouri at No. 18, South Carolina at No. 21, and Florida at No. 24. The Big Ten is represented by Indiana at No. 4, UCLA at No. 8, and Ohio State at No. 12. Iowa, Southern Cal, and Oregon also hold spots in the top 25. The ACC features Miami at No. 1 and Wake Forest at No. 16. The Big 12 includes Utah at No. 3, BYU at No. 9, and Texas Tech at No. 15. Houston and Arizona round out the Big 12 representation in the top 25.
