Up to No. 6 after barely sneaking past Arkansas, the Tigers are the only two-loss team still in playoff contention and a genuine contender for the semifinals in Brian Kelly’s first season. The path into the top four is easy to explain but would be very difficult to pull off: LSU has to beat Alabama-Birmingham and Texas A&M in November — pretty much a guarantee unless the Aggies somehow discover a pulse — and then upset Georgia in the SEC championship game. Down the line, a win against the Bulldogs might force the committee to decide between the Tigers and the Volunteers.
