LSU Is No. 24 in the AP Poll—What Tonight’s CFP Ranking Means

LSU’s first College Football Playoff ranking created a path. The Alabama loss turned that path into a cliff edge. Tuesday night’s second committee ranking will show how far the Tigers fell—and how much the Texas game can still change.

Quick Answer

LSU is No. 24 in the AP Top 25 and No. 22 in the coaches poll after a 31-13 home loss to Alabama dropped the Tigers to 6-3. LSU was No. 14 in the first 2026 College Football Playoff ranking. The selection committee’s second ranking will be revealed Tuesday, Nov. 10, at approximately 8 p.m. CT on ESPN, four days before No. 8 Texas visits Tiger Stadium.

Where LSU Stands Before the CFP Ranking

LSU’s official national rankings page lists the Tigers at No. 24 in the Nov. 8 AP Top 25 and No. 22 in the coaches poll. The AP ranking fell nine places from No. 15 after the Alabama loss.

Those media and coaches polls do not determine the 12-team playoff field. They do provide useful public context: LSU remains ranked, but the national consensus moved the Tigers close to the bottom of the Top 25 after a third loss.

The first CFP ranking placed LSU No. 14 at 6-2, with Alabama No. 5 and Texas No. 7. That order was based on games through Oct. 31. Tuesday’s new ranking incorporates Alabama’s 31-13 win at LSU and Texas’s 34-20 win at Missouri.

When and Where the Nov. 10 CFP Ranking Airs

The official CFP schedule sets the second ranking release for Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 9 to 9:30 p.m. ET—8 to 8:30 p.m. CT—on ESPN. The CFP’s first-ranking release also says the new order is expected at approximately 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and the ESPN app.

The timing matters for TigerHype readers because the ranking arrives after this morning’s article, not before it. Any exact LSU position reported earlier in the day would be speculation. The authoritative number is the one the committee releases Tuesday night.

Why LSU’s Drop Could Be Steep

The committee says it evaluates a team’s full profile through video, data and conference input, then considers strength of schedule, head-to-head results, common opponents and relevant availability factors when teams are comparable. TigerHype’s pre-Alabama CFP path analysis explained why the top-five opportunity was so valuable.

LSU did not merely lose to the committee’s No. 5 team. The Tigers lost 31-13 at home and failed to convert 457 yards into enough points. The committee does not publish a fixed penalty for margin or location, but the result removes the signature-win opportunity that could have moved LSU toward the field.

TigerHype’s Alabama game recap documents the performance: LSU reached 457 yards, held the ball for 32:45 and still went 0-for-4 on fourth down. The profile now contains both competitive evidence and a decisive final score.

Does LSU Still Have a Playoff Path?

LSU has not been officially eliminated. That is the precise answer. At 6-3, however, the at-large case is substantially weaker than it was at No. 14 because the Tigers must now pass teams with fewer losses while also protecting against movement from behind.

Winning the final three games would move LSU to 9-3. The schedule still offers No. 8 Texas at home and No. 9 Tennessee on the road in the AP poll, followed by Arkansas. That creates opportunities for ranked victories, but it also means LSU’s margin for another loss is effectively gone if the Tigers want a credible at-large argument.

Even a 9-3 finish would not guarantee a berth. Conference champions, automatic access, head-to-head comparisons and results elsewhere will shape the final field. LSU can improve its résumé; it cannot control every team competing for the same space.

What Beating Texas Would Change

Texas arrives No. 8 in the AP poll after its third straight win. The Longhorns were No. 7 in the first CFP ranking before beating Missouri. Tuesday night’s order will provide the committee’s updated view, but LSU already knows the practical stakes: Texas is the next high-value opponent available.

A win would give LSU a major ranked result and prove the Tigers can respond immediately after the Alabama loss. It would not erase three losses or guarantee a playoff spot. It would preserve the strongest version of the remaining argument.

The LSU–Texas kickoff guide confirms a 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff on ABC at Tiger Stadium. The ranking will supply the numbers beside each name; the field will decide whether LSU still has a meaningful November case.

What a Texas Loss Would Mean

A loss would move LSU to 6-4 with two regular-season games remaining. No rule would automatically erase the Tigers from the rankings, but the at-large comparison would become much harder against teams with one, two or even three losses.

The more immediate consequence would be goal compression. LSU would shift from chasing a remote playoff path to finishing the season strongly, protecting bowl positioning and building evidence that Kiffin’s first team can respond rather than unravel.

What LSU Fans Should Watch in Tuesday’s Ranking

First, watch LSU’s exact position and the teams immediately around it. A ranking is a comparison, not a grade. The gap to the last plausible at-large contenders matters more than the difference between No. 20 and No. 22 in isolation.

Second, watch Texas. The Longhorns’ placement determines the value of Saturday’s opportunity in the committee’s own order. A higher-ranked Texas creates a more valuable potential win, but also a harder game.

Third, watch Alabama. LSU’s loss looks different if Alabama remains near the top of the field than if the committee moves the Crimson Tide sharply. Opponent strength does not excuse a defeat, but it is part of the full résumé comparison.

Finally, use the 2026 LSU Football hub to track the remaining schedule, results and connected coverage as the committee updates the rankings each week.

The Bottom Line

LSU enters Tuesday night ranked No. 24 by the AP, No. 22 by the coaches and No. 14 only in the now-outdated first CFP ranking. The committee’s second list will replace speculation with an authoritative position after the Alabama loss.

The ranking will not decide the Texas game, and it will not mathematically eliminate LSU by itself. It will define the scale of the climb. Then the Tigers must decide on Saturday whether that climb continues.

FAQ

When will the second 2026 CFP ranking be released?

The College Football Playoff selection committee’s second 2026 ranking is scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, at approximately 8 p.m. CT on ESPN and the ESPN app.

Where is LSU ranked before the November 10 CFP release?

LSU is No. 24 in the November 8 AP Top 25 and No. 22 in the coaches poll. The Tigers were No. 14 in the first CFP ranking on November 3, before the 31-13 loss to Alabama.

Is LSU eliminated from the 2026 College Football Playoff?

No official mathematical elimination has been announced. At 6-3, LSU’s at-large path is substantially narrower and requires a strong finish plus favorable results elsewhere.

Why does LSU vs. Texas matter to the CFP picture?

Texas is No. 8 in the AP poll and was No. 7 in the first CFP ranking. A win would give LSU a major ranked victory; a loss would move the Tigers to 6-4 and further weaken an already difficult at-large case.