LSU absolutely clobbered Texas A&M 35-6 in Baton Rouge this past weekend, but somehow, that dominant win still saw them slide one spot to No. 11 in the latest AP poll. Seriously, what gives? For the first time all year in 2026, the Tigers are out of the top 10. You win by nearly 30 points, and you get penalized? That’s college football for ya.
A 35-6 Rout, A One-Spot Fall: Make It Make Sense!
The Tigers were on fire Saturday, man. Quarterback Sam Leavitt was slinging it, making plays, and even handing off to running back Dilin Jones, carving up the Aggies defense. Lane Kiffin, listed as the head coach for LSU in this one, had his squad humming. They put up 35 points while stifling Texas A&M to just six. We’re talking total domination here. Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed and running back Carsyn Baker just couldn’t get anything going against LSU’s D, featuring guys like Dylan Carpenter and Princewell Umanmielen. It felt like a statement win, the kind that moves you UP, not down. But when the new poll dropped, LSU was sitting at No. 11. One spot lower than before, despite the massive victory. That’s gotta sting, right?
Other Teams’ Upsets Pushed the Tigers Down
So, if LSU won big, why the drop? It wasn’t about anything the Tigers did wrong; it was all about the chaos elsewhere. Voters clearly focused on other results, especially Florida. The Gators pulled off a wild upset against a top-four team in Ole Miss, and they got a massive reward for it. Florida shot up a dizzying 13 spots to land at No. 8, leapfrogging the Tigers in the process. Ole Miss, meanwhile, fell five spots to No. 9 after that shocking loss. As for Texas A&M, their second straight loss meant they dropped out of the top 25 completely. So while LSU did everything right on their own field, the shake-up above them in the rankings still knocked them down. It feels unfair when you handle your business, but that’s how the cookie crumbles in the AP poll.
The message is clear: even a blowout SEC win isn’t enough to control your destiny in the AP poll when upsets are flying around. Being outside the top 10 for the first time this season has to be a wake-up call, a reminder that every single week matters, and sometimes, even winning huge isn’t enough to keep your spot. What does LSU do next to get back into that elite tier? They’ve gotta keep winning, and probably hope for some less dramatic upsets above them.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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