The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2025 season were released on Tuesday night. Not surprisngly, LSU was nowhere to be found. The season has gone sideways in Baton Rouge, as the Tigers have lost three of their last four games. It got so bad that Brian Kelly was fired just 3.5 seasons into his 10-year contract, resulting in the second-biggest buyout in college football history.
CFP committee punishes LSU in a way we all saw coming
As interim head coach Frank Wilson takes over the program, he has a lot on his plate. Off the field, the university just named a new president and is without an athletic director while conducting a search for a new head coach. On the field, Wilson is set to lead the Tigers into Tuscaloosa in hopes of pulling off a big upset over Alabama. Unlike LSU, the Crimson Tide received high praise in the initial CFP rankings.
Alabama given high praise in first CFP rankings
Kalen BeDoer's team received a No. 4 ranking from the CFP committee. Thus, if the season ended today Alabama would enjoy a first round bye in the 12-team playoff.
The initial College Football Playoff Rankings and the projected 12-team bracket: pic.twitter.com/jdeKYWIvhs
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 5, 2025
It's not surprising to see Alabama receive such high praise from the committee. After suffering a season-opening loss on the road to Florida State, the Tide have looked like a completely different team. They've reeled off seven wins in a row, and junior QB Ty Simpson is looking like a legitimate Heisman contender. In fact, with odds of +450, Simpson has the third-best odds to win the prestigious award on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Alabama is also ranked No. 4 in the Week 11 AP Poll. As it stands, the Tide are favored by 10.5-points over the Tigers for Saturday night's matchup.
The rivals have had plenty of heavyweight fights over the years. Alabama has controlled the series in recent years, winning 14 of 18 meetings since 2008, and 8 of 10 meetings since 2015. LSU last defeated Alabama in thrilling overtime fashion at Tiger Stadium in 2022. Kick-off is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium.