LSU-Texas A&M Loser Effectively Out of Playoff Race — SkimNews
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- LSU hosts Texas A&M on Sept. 26 with the loser facing near-certain playoff elimination, since no 0-2 conference team has ever made the College Football Playoff.
- LSU's roster is reportedly college football's most expensive at roughly $50 million under first-year coach Lane Kiffin, who signed a 7-year, $91 million contract after the school beat out Ole Miss and Florida for his services.
- Texas A&M's roster sits around $40 million, and the Aggies tumbled from a preseason No. 8 ranking after losing to unranked 17-point underdog Kentucky in their SEC opener.
- LSU spent a combined eight figures on quarterback Sam Leavitt and offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, both of whom were inconsistent in a 32-24 loss to Ole Miss.
- The loser must still face No. 1 Texas, No. 8 Alabama, and No. 14 Tennessee, and only one three-loss team — Alabama — has ever reached the playoff, with that third loss coming in the SEC Championship.
Why it matters: LSU and Texas A&M combined invested roughly $90 million on rosters built for playoff runs, and a Sept. 26 loss would functionally end those seasons before October while raising pointed questions about first-year decisions — Kiffin's debut contract and Texas A&M coach Mike Elko's promotion of Holmon Wiggins to offensive coordinator after losing Collin Klein to Kansas State.
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