Where LSU Landed in the First College Football Playoff Rankings of 2026

The College Football Playoff committee met this week for the first time this season, signaling the beginning of the end of the 2026 college football season.

For LSU, the first CFP ranking featured an appearance at No. 14.

While LSU is garnering a lot more hype than its ranking lets on, the three-game stretch LSU starts this weekend will give it plenty of chances to move up and be a favorable candidate for a spot in the top 12 by the time the season ends.

LSU has a dominant offense and a stifling defense that have created all of this hype, but there are some holes in its resume.

A Push For Playoff Appearance No. 2

Dec 28, 2019; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow (9) is interviewed after the 2019 Peach Bowl college football playoff semifinal game between the LSU Tigers and the Oklahoma Sooners at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

LSU football was ranked No. 14 in the AP Poll after Week 9, matching the ranking it earned in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll.

LSU took a bye in Week 9, but won back-to-back SEC games in blowout fashion right before the off week. At 6-2, LSU is absolutely in the College Football Playoff race, but LSU still needs to prove it can beat a good team. LSU's two losses, at No. 10 Ole Miss and at No. 6 Kentucky, came to the two best teams LSU has played so far.

LSU hosts No. 5 Alabama at home in Week 9, giving the Tigers a chance to beat a ranked team and beef up the resume.

After this weekend, LSU will also host No. 7 Texas before travelling to face No. 13 Tennessee at the ever-electric Neyland Stadium.

The knock on LSU right now is that it passes the eye test but doesn't have any quality wins.

LSU is among the leaders in the SEC and the country in total offense and total defense, but has lost both of the games it played against teams that are still ranked.

The 2 losses were by a combined nine points, on the road, while LSU was fighting through some fundamental problems that held it back.

LSU has since turned that around against Mississippi State and Auburn, and looked like a complete and clean football team.

LSU needs that team to show up in the next three weeks if LSU wants to get back into the CFP, after running the tables in the 2019 CFP and winning the national title.

LSU hired Lane Kiffin this offseason to do just that, and he's in a great position to do so.

The Full Top 25

LSU Football — Sep 26, 2026; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; A detail view of an LSU Tigers helmet on the field prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

No. 25 - Boise State

No. 24 - Florida

No. 23 - Oregon

No. 22 - Arizona

No. 21 - South Carolina

No. 20 - USC

No. 19 - Iowa

No. 18 - Missouri

No. 17 - Houston

No. 16 - Wake Forest

No. 15 - Texas Tech

No. 14 - LSU

No. 13 - Tennessee

No. 12 - Ohio State

No. 11 - Notre Dame

No. 10 - Ole Miss

No. 9 - BYU

No. 8 - UCLA

No. 7 - Texas

No. 6 - Kentucky

No. 5 - Alabama

No. 4 - Indiana

No. 3 - Utah

No. 2 - Georgia

No. 1 - Miami

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