Tigers expected to remain ranked despite loss as SEC teams continue benefiting from conference bias
Saturday’s game between the LSU Tigers and Vanderbilt Commodores in Nasvhille was an opportunity for Brian Kelly’s team to justify its lofty ranking.
Based on, well, not much, LSU was ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll. Because AP Poll voters are not particularly good at their jobs, LSU moved way up after beating a wildly overrated Clemson Tigers team. As the first half of the season played out, it became even more clear that LSU was a good, not great, team.
But because of the preseason polls, and a predictable commitment to inertia, the Tigers continued to sit in the top-10, despite doing little to justify it. On Saturday, they proved the naysayers right.
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Vanderbilt simply wore the Tigers’ defense down with the rush. Diego Pavia carried the ball 17 teams for 86 yards and two touchdowns, often functioning as the de facto running back. But the outcome of the game is secondary to a much more important question: how much should LSU move up in the rankings after another quality SEC loss?
NASHVILLE – Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) runs with the ball against the Louisiana State Tigers during the first half at FirstBank Stadium on Oct. 18, 2025. Photo: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Will Voters Continue Rewarding Mediocre SEC Teams?
It’s sarcasm, obviously, but there’s a very important underlying criticism behind it. AP Poll voters simply prioritize brand names, their own inaccurate assumptions and expectations, and conference affiliation ahead of data-driven analysis.
This isn’t meant as an attack on LSU in particular, they’re just one of the more obvious beneficiaries of this implicit bias. LSU had no business being ranked in the top 10. The Tigers were ranked in the top 10 because voters were suckered in by recruiting rankings, a big stadium, a big brand name, and the fact that they play in the SEC.
But this is precisely how the SEC benefits from it. LSU should not be ranked after this weekend. The Tigers will be. Odds are, they won’t even fall out of the top-20. Vanderbilt gets a win over a top-10 team that was only ranked that high because of its conference. LSU will remain a “ranked game” on the schedules for other SEC teams, providing opportunities for other teams to benefit.
Should the Tigers beat Texas A&M next weekend, for example, A&M will get credit for the traditional SEC “quality loss.” Or if the Aggies win, they’ll be credited with the ever-reliable SEC “win over a ranked team.” Even if that ranked team has no business being ranked.
Again, this isn’t so much a problem with LSU as it is a problem with how we rank teams. How the poll is conducted. Every week should start from scratch. Even switch up the voters week to week so there isn’t such a reliance on last week’s votes to inform this week’s. Use data-driven rankings that cut through the noise of brand names, fan support and stadium size to focus on actual results.
Or just watch the Tigers quality lose their way to a playoff spot.
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