LSU Tigers Receive Prediction to Make College Football Playoff

Brian Kelly and Co. receive an early projection for the College Football Playoff, take on Big Ten foe.

Sep 14, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) reacts before a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images / Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

No. 13 LSU continues stealing headlines heading into the thick of conference play as we inch closer to the midway point of the 2024 season.

Kelly and Co. are riding a four-game winning streak heading into this weekend's Top-15 clash against No. 9 Ole Miss with the program coming off of an open date.

For the Bayou Bengals, it's been a rollercoaster season through five games.

After dropping the season opener to the USC Trojans, many dismissed Kelly's program as a College Football Playoff contender.

Just two weeks later, the program hit the road to South Carolina with ESPN's College GameDay in attendance where LSU fought back to take down the Gamecocks after trailing 17-0 in the second quarter.

No. 13 LSU is clicking offensively and it's woken up several college football analysts, including Action Network's Brett McMurphy.

The college football expert revealed his College Football Playoff projections over the weekend with none other than the LSU Tigers making the cut at No. 11

McMurphy predicts LSU to take on Penn State in the 1st Round with the Tigers hitting the road to Beaver Stadium.

McMurphy's CFP Bracket Prediction:
1. Texas
2. Ohio State
3. Miami
4. Iowa State
5. Georgia
6. Penn State
7. Oregon
8. Clemson
9. Ole Miss
10. Alabama
11. LSU
12. Army

My new Week 7 @ActionNetworkHQ bowl projections. @CFBPlayoff: Texas, Ohio St, Miami, Iowa St; Army 👀 at Georgia, Ole Miss at Clemson, LSU at Penn St, Alabama at Oregon. Also, Pop-Tarts: Notre Dame-Texas Tech; Boca Raton: USF-UCF; Texas: Arkansas-Kansas Sthttps://t.co/3OSyzgQH67

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) October 7, 2024

More College Football Playoff Predictions: LSU has America's Attention

Fox Sports' Joel Klatt spoke highly of the Tigers and what their season outlook may look like after adding the Tigers to his postseason projections.

"I expect LSU to beat Ole Miss at night in Death Valley, [Texas] A&M on the road, Oklahoma at home, and loss to Alabama," Klatt said. "LSU would be a 10-2 team and 7-1 in the SEC... 7-1 in the SEC gets you in the playoff..."

Joel Klatt's CFP Bracket Prediction:
1. Texas
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Kansas State
5. Alabama
6. Oregon
7. Georgia
8. Tennessee
9. Penn State
10. USC
11. LSU
12. Boise State

McMurphy and Klatt aren't the only college football analysts high on the Bayou Bengals.

SEC Network's Paul Finebaum is riding with No. 13 LSU after a recent statement on air:

"I think LSU may be a little bit tougher than Missouri," Finebaum said. "People are just not taking LSU seriously."

The Bayou Bengals have shined offensively despite not being at full strength just yet with starting wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. sidelined.

Through the first five weeks of the season, signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier is 138-of-198 passing for 1,652 yards with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions.

He leads the SEC in both completions and touchdowns while ranking in or near the Top 5 nationally in both categories prior to the Tigers' Week 6 bye.

LSU has seen production from WR1 Kyren Lacy, tight end Mason Taylor and emerging star Aaron Anderson through the first quarter of the season.

Anderson leads the program in receiving yards with 371 on 27 receptions and a pair of touchdowns on 13.7 yards per catch. The second-year Tiger has become a focal point of LSU's offense while adding a weapon alongside Lacy at the receiver position.

For Lacy specifically, he's been the WR1 that LSU has needed this season with the departures of Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. He's up to 352 yards and five touchdowns on just 25 receptions this season while leading the program in yards per catch with 14.1.

It's evident the passing attack is firing on all cylinders with Nussmeier utilizing weapons Lacy, Anderson, Taylor and CJ Daniels, but it still feels as though this unit has another gear it can hit during SEC play when fully healthy.

No. 13 LSU will return to action on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium with a Top-15 SEC showdown against No. 9 Ole Miss inching closer. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC.

More LSU News:

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What's Next for LSU Without Harold Perkins?

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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