Urban Meyer Takes Firm Stand As Lane Kiffin, LSU's CFP Hopes Hang in the Balance

After a promising beginning to their season, LSU now sits at 4-2 and may already be outside the picture for the College Football Playoff. In considering the brave new world of college football, Urban Meyer discussed LSU on The Triple Option podcast and was specifically asked whether LSU was already finished or still had a spot at the CFP.

Meyer Talks Parity

"I really wanted to talk about this and get ready for three-loss teams," said Meyer. "The parity in college football has never been like this in our lifetimes."

Indeed, teams like Kentucky and Missouri shape up as legitimate CFP contenders while college football big dogs like Oregon, Texas A&M and arguably LSU are on the outside of the hunt looking in. But Meyer was not entirely ready to give up on LSU.

Meyer on LSU

"I still think they have a shot," he said. "If you had to say 50/50, they're below 50 [percent] that they'll make it, but I still think they have a shot. I think you're going to see.... two to three teams in that 12-team Playoff with three losses."

The math certainly backs up Meyer's take. ESPN's FPI ranking gives LSU just a 16.2% chance at a Playoff berth. For the Tigers, from 4-2, the cleanest path would be a clean sweep of the second half of the regular seaosn. Easier said than done though, with a schedule ahead that includes not only No. 16 Mississippi State this weekend, but No. 6 Alabama, No. 7 Texas, and a road trip to No. 14 Tennessee. FPI gives the Tigers just a 4.4% chance to win out, but with conference losses to Ole Miss and Kentucky already behind them, LSU may have to reach that feat or at the very least, go 5-1.

Three-Loss CFP Teams?

In the 2024 CFP field, Clemson was the only three-loss team making a Playoff appearance, although they won their win in by picking up the ACC championship. In 2025, three-loss Alabama earned the final spot in the Playoff over a 10-2 Notre Dame squad in a controversial decision.

That said, a fourth (or potentially even fifth) SEC team making its way to the Playoff field may well have a three-loss record. Florida, Oklahoma, and LSU have all dropped two games already, with Alabama, Kentuxcky, Mississippi State, Missouri, Tenneessee, Ole Miss, and Texas all carrying a single loss already. Accordingly, LSU has to tread carefully starting with the Week 7 battle with Kamario Taylor and Mississippi State on Saturday.

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