The second College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season are officially here, giving LSU football another look at where it stands in the race for a spot in the postseason field.

The College Football Playoff selection committee revealed its latest top 25 on Tuesday night, and the Tigers landed at No. 21, falling seven spots.

LSU entered last week looking for a big win against Alabama to bolster their position, but instead were defeated soundly. The Tigers are now 6-3 on the season, with three games remaining on their regular-season schedule.

The latest rankings give LSU a clearer picture of what the final stretch of the season means. Here is where the Tigers landed and how the rest of the College Football Playoff picture looks after the committee's second reveal.

Where LSU landed in the second College Football Playoff rankings

LSU came in at No. 21 in the second College Football Playoff rankings, falling from its No. 14 slot in the initial rankings.

The Tigers entered this week after a 31-13 loss to Alabama on Saturday. LSU had an opportunity to pick up a significant win against the Crimson Tide, but an inability to convert in the red zone spelled trouble for Kiffin and the Tigers, leading to the team’s third loss.

What the latest rankings mean for LSU football

With the second rankings now released, LSU knows where it stands compared to the other teams competing for a College Football Playoff spot.

The Tigers are currently on the outside looking in, as being the fourth-highest-ranked three-loss team is not an ideal draw. The Tigers are also sitting behind a three-loss Ole Miss, who has the head-to-head win over Kiffin and Co.

The gap between LSU and the teams ahead of it is too much to overcome with only three weeks left in the season. 

The next matchup comes against a top 10 squad in Texas this Saturday, Nov. 14. If the Tigers want any shot of sneaking into the College Football Playoff, a win over Texas, and the rest of its opponents is a non-negotiable. 

The College Football Playoff rankings will continue to change every week as the season moves closer to its end. For LSU, the focus now turns to its remaining schedule and finding a way to win out in its final three games.

Full College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings

Here is the complete top 25 from the second College Football Playoff rankings release of the 2026 season:

1. Georgia
2. Utah
3. Alabama
4. UCLA
5. Notre Dame
6. Texas
7. Miami
8. Tennessee
9. Indiana
10. BYU
11. Kentucky
12. Texas Tech
13. Wake Forest
14. Houston
15. Iowa
16. Oregon
17. South Carolina
18. USC
19. Ole Miss
20. Ohio State
21. LSU
22. Missouri
23. Arizona
24. Boise State (12 seed, G6 representative)
25. Oklahoma State