LSU and Alabama meet Nov. 7 in Tuscaloosa in a game that could effectively end the loser’s College Football Playoff hopes. CBS Sports analyst Brad Crawford expects the loser to finish 9-3 and miss the 12-team field, citing both teams’ weak résumés and limited quality wins.

By the Numbers
  • Both teams have 2 losses.
  • Crawford projects the loser will finish 9-3.
  • LSU has 2 ranked opponents remaining after Alabama: Texas and Tennessee.
  • Alabama has 0 ranked opponents remaining after LSU.
Yes, But

The loser would face a steep climb, not a guaranteed mathematical elimination. LSU could still strengthen its résumé against Texas and Tennessee, while Alabama’s remaining schedule offers no ranked opponents after this matchup.

State of Play
  • LSU has lost to Ole Miss and Kentucky and currently has no wins over teams ranked in the AP poll.
  • Alabama’s lone ranked win is over Kentucky, which was unranked when the teams played in Week 2.
  • Both teams have an open week before their Nov. 7 matchup at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
What's Next

The teams meet in Week 10, with the result likely to shape their remaining Playoff paths. LSU then has opportunities to improve its résumé against Texas and Tennessee; Alabama does not have another ranked opponent on its schedule.

Bottom Line

For two-loss LSU and Alabama, this is more than a rivalry game: a loss could leave too little room to make up ground in the Playoff race.