Rece Davis believes loser of Alabama-LSU is 'cooked' in College Football Playoff race

Much has been made of what’s at stake in No. 11 Alabama vs. No. 15 LSU in Baton Rouge this weekend. Rece Davis continued that with how he too views the game heading into Saturday.

Davis commented on the Top-15 matchup between the Tide and Tigers during the ‘College GameDay Podcast’ on Wednesday. Amidst a separate discussion about the playoff format, he used it as an example of what’s at play for programs like these in these late-season meetings as, regardless of the outcome, he has the loser not making the field for the College Football Playoff.

“The point that you made about random games having playoff implications? Not random games but more games than one would anticipate – sort of in the NFL style in this team would be eliminated from Wild Card consideration. I think, in a de facto sense, we already have that,” Davis argued. “We have that this weekend. I mean, Alabama and LSU is exactly that.”

“It’s, I mean – LSU, I guess, in theory, would still be alive with some wild chaos and tiebreakers with only two conference losses, if they were to lose, for the SEC Championship. But Alabama is definitely going to be cooked and LSU is going to be cooked if it loses for an at-large,” stated Davis.

Again, this is just the latest take for what’s on the line this weekend in Death Valley.

Both teams come into the game with an overall record of 6-2. That, as Davis noted, is worse for ‘Bama considering each of theirs are from during the course of conference play.

Alabama lost both of their games last month at Vanderbilt and at Tennessee. That already has them all but out of contention for the SEC Championship but still within reach of the College Football Playoff after getting the final at-large berth during the release of the initial rankings earlier this week.

LSU is then coming off of their first loss in league play at Texas A&M. That outcome has them just outside of the field but with a little more of a margin with a better chance that they’d be able to play for the conference title in Atlanta.

As far as at-larges, three losses is more than enough to keep you out of the playoff. That’s the scenario that many, including Davis, see Alabama and LSU in ahead of kickoff.