LSU College Football Playoff ranking falls after Bama loss | LSU

After suffering a third Southeastern Conference loss, LSU took an expected step back in the College Football Playoff race.

The Tigers (6-3, 3-3 SEC) were announced as the No. 21 team in the selection committee’s rankings Tuesday, dropping seven spots after a 31-13 loss to now-No. 3 Alabama (7-2, 5-2).

If there is any silver lining, LSU has a chance to recover over the next two weeks. The Tigers will play host to No. 6 Texas (7-2, 4-2) on Saturday in Tiger Stadium, which is set for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC.

The next week, LSU is slated to travel to No. 8 Tennessee (7-2, 4-2) in a 2:30 p.m. kickoff in Neyland Stadium. The Tigers finish the regular season at Arkansas (3-6, 1-5).

“You get the schedule early, and then once it’s going, you start seeing, OK, this chunk of three right here … this is three really good teams, maybe three top-12 teams, three of the best defenses in the country. You say, man, you really probably don’t want that right in a row,” Kiffin said of Alabama, Texas and Tennessee. “Now, because we lost, it’s a good thing that it is because it gives you a chance right away to play a top-10 team.”

LSU is currently the eighth-best SEC team in the selection committee’s eyes, sitting behind No. 1 Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, No. 11 Kentucky, No. 17 South Carolina and No. 19 Ole Miss. The SEC also had No. 22 Missouri ranked in the top 25.

Kiffin came into his first season at LSU facing sky-high expectations, and he didn’t expect to have three losses through nine games. He has consistently pointed to the Tigers’ long-term injuries, including linebacker Whit Weeks and recently returned tight end Trey’Dez Green, as factors in a 6-3 start.

“But still … had a chance to finish out games,” Kiffin said, stewing on an Ole Miss loss that was tied 24-24 in the fourth quarter, an overtime defeat to Kentucky and last weekend’s loss where LSU led Alabama 13-10 late in the third quarter.

Now LSU has to figure out ways to win games against ranked teams. Otherwise, a much-anticipated season will fall well short of the CFP.

“Realizing your back is to the wall, but also not thinking about it as much,” LSU safety Ty Benefield said Tuesday of the Tigers’ mindset. “We’ve got to understand the situation we’re in. But we can’t focus on it.”