LSU football last played in the College Football Playoffs in 2019 when Joe Burrow took the program to the national championship. Since then, the Tigers found themselves on the outside looking in and they made a slew of changes ahead of the 2026 season in an effort to get back to the summit.

Head coach Lane Kiffin will lead LSU into Tiger Stadium for the first time in a Week One game against Clemson. He signed the nation's top transfer portal class and multiple five-star prospects in the 2026 high school cycle while retaining the Tigers' biggest contributors from last season.

ESPN's college football power index (FPI) still views LSU as postseason outsiders despite its retooled roster. The ranking system gives the Tigers a 40.5% chance to make the College Football Playoffs. It has Texas and Georgia as the only SEC teams with over a 50% chance to get in. Alabama edges LSU with a 41.7% chance.

LSU faces a tough conference schedule in its first year under Kiffin. Should the purple and gold pull an upset or two over the Crimson Tide, Texas A&M or Texas, it should be able to count on playing meaningful postseason football.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: FPI predicts LSU football's chances of making College Football Playoff

Source: Yahoo Sports