LSU Football: Who Tigers fans should be rooting against down the stretch

As we enter the back half of October, divisional races are heating up. The playoff rankings will begin their weekly spot in a few weeks too, so this is where it really starts to matter.

In the case of LSU, the Tigers remain out of playoff contention. With a crowded field, it’s doubtful this would be the year where a two-loss team has a shot at the four-team field.

But LSU remains in the SEC West race and pursuit of a New Year’s Six spot.

Here’s who LSU fans should be rooting against down the stretch to better position the Tigers.

If LSU is competing for an at-large bid to the NY6, Oregon will likely be another team in that conversation.

The Rose Bowl is a playoff semifinal this year, so the Pac-12 doesn’t have its automatic tie-in. It’s a strong year for the league, and several teams are putting together a solid resume.

Oregon picked up its first loss against Washington last week, giving the Huskies the inside track to the college football playoff. LSU needs Oregon to lose again if the Tigers want to eventually make the jump in the rankings.

This is the most obvious one.

Ole Miss holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over LSU after beating the Tigers in Oxford last month.

If LSU wants to avoid getting caught up in a three-way tie with Ole Miss and Alabama, the Tigers needs the Rebels to lose another SEC game. This paves the path for the LSU-Alabama game to serve as the de facto SEC West title game.

Ole Miss doesn’t have it easy. The remaining schedule includes Georgia, Texas A&M and Auburn. It’s unlikely the Rebels win out.

Three Big Ten schools are positioned to make playoff runs right now. Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State all have their hopes set on the postseason.

Not all three will make it, but its possible that two can.

Either way, it would be helpful if one of those teams ended the year with two losses. If they’re all 11-1, they’re all locks for the playoff or NY6.

The ACC is guaranteed a spot in the Orange Bowl, but the Big Ten, SEC, and Notre Dame share the other tie-in. LSU would want to be in a spot where it could edge out a two-loss Big Ten team.

LSU could use some Big 12 chaos too.

Odds are, at least one of Texas or Oklahoma will make the playoff. That could come down to the conference title game.

Texas already has one loss. If it falters that first weekend of December, the Longhorns would have at-least two losses. If LSU wins out, it would be in that same conversation.

With Oklahoma’s remaining schedule, its hard to see a scenario where it falls all the way out of the NY6. Texas getting its second loss is the better bet.

It’s clear LSU is counting on chaos.

It doesn’t need all of that to happen, but it needs some. More importantly, it needs to handle its own business which won’t be easy, given the Tigers will be underdogs in Tuscaloosa.

After the Alabama win last year, the Tigers entered the playoff discussion despite their two losses. If LSU had beaten Texas A&M and Georgia, it would have been in contention on selection Sunday.

So it’s not impossible the Tigers enter the race again this year, but NY6 is a much more likely scenario.