The playoff picture for your Louisiana football teams may look a bit murky, and that's because it is. If you're hoping for Tulane and LSU to make some noise in the college football playoffs, you may have to settle for one out of the two. Glenn Guilbeau of Tiger Rag Magazine points to the issue of strength of schedule going forward when it comes to the Green Wave. "To move up, you have to beat higher ranked opponents. And, unfortunately for the Green Wave, those opponents just aren't going to be there for them to be able to move up the rankings in any meaningful way," Guilbeau points out. However, LSU still has hope of moving forward. "For LSU, it's really pretty simple: they have to win out going forward. But, fortunately, if they win their next game over #11 Alabama, you would think LSU would get in the Top 12. Then, it's just a matter of taking care of business at Florida and then at home against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma, and they're pretty much assured a top 12 ranking," Guilbeau goes on to explain.
Tulane isn't ranked in the college football playoff rankings and don't play a team going forward who is, so their issue lies in strength of opponent. To move up, you have to beat teams ranked higher than you are, and they've essentially run out of opportunities. Guilbeau adds that Tulane IS having a good season and should likely end up in a bowl game, even though college playoff glory isn't in the cards this season.
When it comes to LSU facing Alabama in order to keep their hopes alive, Guilbeau lays much of the expectation on QB Garrett Nussmeier. "LSU is in a win-or-else situation. Alabama's defense isn't what it once was, so I think Nussmeier can win a close game over Alabama if he cuts down on some of those interceptions," Guilbeau says. That should be their toughest remaining game of the schedule, so if LSU can topple Bama, their chances of running the table skyrocket. While it may feel strange for SEC fans to speak of LSU and Alabama as a "second tier" when it comes to power structure, it's something they may need to get used to. "LSU and Alabama are like a lot of SEC teams now: they're all pretty good, but not great. And sitting above them in class are Texas and Georgia," Guilbeau adds.