It's prediction season around the college football universe. That means the internet is filled with bold conjecture as the start of the 2025 season approaches. From win/loss records to national champion picks, social media predictions are everywhere.
Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers are hungry for a big 2025 campaign. LSU hasn't been to the College Football Playoff since its title run in 2019, which includes missing out on the action in Kelly's first three seasons in Baton Rouge. One prominent college football media member expects that drought to continue this season.
Josh Pate's College Football Show is one of the largest podcasts centered around college football, and its host, Josh Pate, is one of the biggest names in college football media. Pate has released his College Football Playoff prediction for the upcoming season, and the LSU Tigers didn't make the cut.
🚨PLAYOFF PICKS🚨 pic.twitter.com/uRNurB7ZFS
— Josh Pate (@JoshPateCFB) August 18, 2025
Pate's CFP field features four SEC teams without LSU in the mix
Pate predicts that four SEC teams will make the 12-team playoff, and none of them are LSU. Instead, he has Alabama, Texas, Florida, and Georgia representing the SEC in the CFP. his bracket has Georgia and Florida facing each other in the first round, with Texas and Alabama receiving first-round byes.
Pate also has four Big Ten teams in the mix, picking Penn State, Ohio State, Oregon, and Nebraska to make the playoff. While LSU is on the outside looking in for Pate's CFP prediction, ESPN's bowl projections have the Tigers qualifying to the 12-team playoff.
As Kelly stares down a potential make-or-break season in Baton Rouge, Tiger fans are starving for another shot at the SEC title and a trip to the CFP. LSU missed several opportunities to advance to the CFP last season, finishing with a regular season record of 8-4 in 2024. The Tigers picked up three straight wins to close out the season, including a 44-31 win over Baylor in the Texas Bowl. After re-tooling his roster during the offseason, Kelly is looking to keep that momentum going into 2025.
The return of Garrett Nussmeier is the biggest get for Kelly, and an elite group of receivers gives the veteran signal-caller plenty of options. If the Tiger defense is much improved and the offensive line holds up, the Tigers can prove Pate wrong and be a College Football Playoff team this season.