The first College Football Playoff rankings were released on Tuesday night. We've had the AP Poll and the coaches poll throughout the season to help see how teams stack up, but from here on out the CFP rankings will lead the way. In the initial rankings from the committee, LSU is exactly where they were expected to be - nowhere to be found.
LSU predictably left out of initial CFP rankings
Ohio State took the top spot, while No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Texas A&M, and No. 4 Alabama followed. Georgia rounded out the top-5. It's not surprising at all to see LSU miss the cut, as the Tigers have underperformed all season long.
LSU began the season as the No. 9 team in the AP Poll and got as high as No. 3 in Week 4. Their Week 1 win at then-No. 4 Clemson looked like a signature win that was going to propel the Tigers to a monster 2025 season. But instead, both programs have spiraled since then and both are predictably left out of the initial CFP rankings.
The dark horse LSU head coach candidate more fans need to be talking about
The 2025 football season has been a tumultuous one for the LSU Tigers. The program was hoping to return to National Championship heights in Year 4 of the Brian Kelly era, but instead the Tigers are 5-3 and Kelly is gone. LSU made the move to fire Kelly following a lopsided 49-25 loss to Texas A&M two weeks ago. Nick Saban, Les Miles, and Ed Orgeron all won national titles by the end of their 4th season in Baton Rouge, and Brian Kelly leaves having never come close.
Associate head coach and running backs coach Frank Wilson takes over on an interim basis while a national search for a new head coach is underway. His first test is not an easy one, as Wilson is set to lead the Tigers into Tuscaloosa to take on No. 4 Alabama this Saturday night. The Tigers are currently 10.5-point underdogs in the rivalry matchup.