Greg McElroy, Booger McFarland argue LSU, Ole Miss have no margin in College Football Playoff race

With the college football season rolling through the final month of the regular season, the College Football Playoff race has come into focus. And for a pair of SEC teams, the margin for error is all but gone.

Those would be No. 15 LSU and No. 16 Ole Miss, debuting in the teens in the first of the 2024 rankings from the CFP Selection Committee. Both squads have two losses, and Ole Miss took both in conference play. And it means neither can realistically afford to lose again and make the field.

“Based on eye test and talent, Ole Miss is among the best teams in college football,” ESPN analyst Greg McElroy said on the rankings reveal show. “Now, have they shot themselves in the foot? Yes, twice. Against both Kentucky and obviously on the road at LSU. But this is a very dangerous team and this is one of those teams we talked about, 12 feels like a lot but man, Ole Miss, they’re one of those teams that don’t have the margin to get back into it.”

And while LSU does have the leg up on Ole Miss with an aforementioned win — where LSU only took the lead in overtime — the Tigers took a loss to USC in the opener that is looking increasingly ugly.

That means LSU likely needs to win out and at least make the SEC championship game to make the field — and a win would surely secure the bid. And even LSU making the title game and losing might be the only margin either of the Tigers and Rebels have.

And the Tigers face what is more or less a CFP elimination game on Saturday, hosting Alabama in Tiger Stadium.

“LSU only has one conference loss and everything is in front of them, you beat Alabama,” fellow ESPN analyst Booger McFarland said. “They’ve got four conference games left: Alabama, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma and Florida. They win those games, they’ll have an opportunity to play for the SEC championship.”

And with an SEC championship in tow, LSU is a lock to make the field.

But anything less than an unblemished record the rest of the way likely eliminates the Tigers or Rebels from College Football Playoff contention in the new 12-team era.