LSU’s Wild Path to the SEC Title Game is Still Alive, Here’s How…

LSU’s chances of reaching the College Football Playoff may have taken a big hit after their tough loss to Alabama, but their hopes of playing in the SEC Championship Game are far from over. With a few key wins and a little luck, LSU could find themselves competing for the SEC title in Atlanta. Here’s a look at what needs to happen for the Tigers to make this goal a reality.

Under the new College Football Playoff rules, the four highest-ranked conference champions automatically make the playoffs and get a first-round bye. This means that winning the SEC Championship Game could give LSU a chance at the playoff despite their earlier losses. The stakes are high, and LSU has the motivation to push through these last games.

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR LSU TO MAKE THE CFP?

First things first: LSU has to win its remaining games. The Tigers have three games left—one of them on the road this week at Florida two home games vs Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. Winning all three games would mean LSU finishes 6-2 in the SEC, a record that keeps them in the running.

• ALABAMA NEEDS ANOTHER LOSS (KINDA): Alabama currently sits ahead of LSU in the SEC standings. But if Alabama were to lose one more SEC game—either at Oklahoma or at home against Auburn—they’d also finish with two losses. This is a crucial part of LSU’s path to the SEC Championship Game. The craziest part is, that LSU might not even need Alabama to lose anything. We'll tell you why later on...
• TEXAS vs TEXAS A&M LOSER WILL HAVE TWO LOSSES: Texas and Texas A&M each have only one SEC loss right now. If one of these teams loses, they’d also be a two-loss team like LSU. This would help create a big tie at 6-2 among several SEC teams, including LSU.
• GEORGIA BEATS TENNESSEE: If Georgia defeats Tennessee, it would hand Tennessee a second SEC loss. This would keep Tennessee from edging out LSU for a shot at the title game

HOW DOES LSU HAVE A SHOT?

The folks at Louisiana Sports.net laid out just HOW LSU could benefit... If this situation were to unfold, it would be mass chaos, but LSU wouldn’t be the only team sitting at 6-2. If things shake out as described, six teams would end up with this record. At this point, the SEC would use a tiebreaker to decide who goes to the championship game. The fourth tiebreaker favors LSU because it looks at the combined winning percentage of each team’s SEC opponents, and LSU currently holds the highest winning percentage among all potentially tied teams. Here’s how it stacks up right now:

• LSU – .520
• Georgia – .437
• Texas A&M – .434
• Ole Miss – .431
• Texas – .400
• Missouri – .428
• Tennessee – .380

Just take a listen to this video, this adds a bit more context....

This means that if LSU wins their games, even without an additional Alabama loss, the Tigers still have a strong chance to win the tiebreaker against Alabama. It’s a complex path, but one that LSU could navigate.

So, while the College Football Playoff might be out of reach, don’t count out the Tigers’ chance to make a big statement in the SEC. Even though for the Tigers, with determination and a LOT OF LUCK, LSU could still find a route to the College Football Playoffs by winning the SEC Championship Game and receiving the Automatic BYE for the South Eastern Conference.