LSU football has its back against the wall as the end of the 2026 regular season draws closer. Head coach Lane Kiffin and his team suffered their third loss in Week 10 when it fell to Alabama. Their chances to make the College Football Playoffs appear slimmer.
The Athletic gives the Tigers a 30% chance to make the College Football Playoffs. That ranks No. 6 among teams in the SEC behind Ole Miss at 42% and Tennessee at 36%. Georgia, Alabama, and Texas all have over a 75% chance of being part of the 12-team field.
In the playoff bracket, The Athletic projects that LSU would be a No. 6 seed at the highest should it make the cut. It has a 5% chance to break into the field as a No. 7-9 seed. The Tigers last made the College Football Playoff in 2019
when they won the national championship. They have not made the field since it expanded to 12 teams.
LSU must win out to give itself a chance to play meaningful postseason football. It welcomes the Longhorns to Baton Rouge on Saturday, then travels to Knoxville for a Week 12 tilt with the Volunteers. The purple and gold dropped contests to the Rebels, Kentucky, and the Crimson Tide in 2026.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: The Athletic predictions suggest LSU football can still make the playoff
