Davis Calls LSU a Dangerous Playoff Threat Before Alabama Test
On November 3, ESPN host Rece Davis said two-loss LSU could win the national championship if it reaches the College Football Playoff, with the Tigers set to host Alabama on Saturday.
On November 3, ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis backed LSU as a potential national championship contender if it makes the College Football Playoff. He compared the Tigers to last season’s Miami team, which reached the title game after entering the playoff as a No. 10 seed, then lost to Indiana 27-21 in the championship.
LSU is 6-2 under first-year coach Lane Kiffin. The Tigers have won their past two games by a combined 69-17, following a 35-34 overtime loss at Kentucky. Their other defeat was a 32-24 loss at Ole Miss. None of LSU’s six victories has come against a team ranked in this week’s AP Top 25.
Davis said Kiffin sent him a video of the praise playing inside LSU’s football building, alongside a warning to the team not to get carried away. Podcast co-host Dan Wetzel agreed LSU had not yet beaten a top team, while saying an undefeated finish would put the Tigers in the playoff.
The next test is Saturday, when No. 15 LSU hosts No. 9 Alabama. Both teams are 6-2. Davis described the game as nearly an elimination contest; Kiffin called Alabama the most talented opponent LSU has faced. The Tigers’ remaining schedule includes Texas at home, followed by road games at Tennessee and Arkansas. The playoff committee’s first rankings are due Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET; Saturday’s game begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.