LSU Playoff Hopes: Road to CFP After Alabama Loss
Head coach Lane Kiffin's team must beat No. 7 Texas and No. 13 Tennessee to keep a three-loss College Football Playoff run alive.
By Robert Ward ·
LSU football faces a two-week sprint to secure a College Football Playoff berth following a 31-13 loss to Alabama on Saturday. The defeat, the Tigers' third in four conference games, leaves the team with a 6-3 overall record and a 3-3 mark in the Southeastern Conference. To remain a viable playoff candidate, LSU must defeat No. 7 Texas in Baton Rouge this Saturday and then win at No. 13 Tennessee the following week. A victory in those two games would position the Tigers to compete for a playoff spot despite carrying three losses.
The loss to Alabama intensified criticism of head coach Lane Kiffin, who is in his first season leading the program. SEC analyst Paul Finebaum described the defeat as one of the most humiliating moments of Kiffin's coaching career. Local radio personality Bobby Hebert III, known as T-Bob, called the performance embarrassing and gutless, citing the team's 16th loss to Alabama in 20 attempts. The loss extended LSU's record against the Crimson Tide to 16-20 all-time.
Former LSU running back Leonard Fournette voiced specific complaints about team presentation. On his podcast, Fournette questioned the decision to have celebrities lead the team onto the field, including Shaquille O'Neal, Angel Reese, Paul Skenes, and Kevin Costner. Fournette stated that the practice must stop, particularly when the team is losing, emphasizing that the players are paid to win rather than attend a concert or party.
Kiffin's track record against top-25 opponents has drawn scrutiny, with the coach holding a 12-15 mark in ranked-versus-ranked games. The loss to Alabama compounded concerns after LSU generated 457 yards of offense but scored only 13 points. The team had held a 13-10 lead late in the third quarter but collapsed in the fourth quarter, failing to convert on key drives.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt acknowledged the team's need for better execution in small moments. Leavitt stated that the team must go back to work and seize every opportunity, even when the odds of success are low. He noted that the team discussed responsibility and giving full effort during a walk after the game with wideout Winston Watkins.
Safety Ty Benefield, a transfer from Boise State, framed the upcoming games as a final test of his commitment to the program. Benefield said he joined the SEC to face the toughest competition and pledged to give full effort until the end of the season. He expressed that he put too much work into his career to leave the team without a final effort.
The path to the playoff remains open because nine SEC teams currently hold two or three losses. LSU trails No. 2 Georgia (8-1) and No. 5 Alabama (7-2) in the conference standings. Kentucky (7-2) holds a head-to-head advantage over LSU but lost 34-6 to Tennessee. Florida (5-4) and Missouri (6-3) remain on LSU's schedule, while Texas (7-2) and Tennessee (7-2) round out the top tier of conference teams.
LSU has not beaten a currently ranked team this season. The Tigers defeated then-No. 23 Texas A&M and then-No. 16 Mississippi State, but both opponents have since fallen to 4-5 records. The team was competitive in its losses to Ole Miss and Kentucky, falling by a combined nine points in those two games. Kiffin said the team did not play well, especially in the fourth quarter, and identified beating Texas as the immediate goal to reset the season.
