LSU Football Battles For Bowl Eligibility In A Tough Season

Even though it feels like there are 1,000 questions surrounding the LSU Football team, there are really just two big ones. First, who is going to be the next Head Coach? Second, will this team play in a bowl game?

The Tigers currently have 5 wins, that means the Tigers are not even bowl eligible yet. You have to get 6 wins to be bowl eligible. If this team can't lock down that 6th win, this season will go from bad to worse.

This whole season has already been a mess, and it's a big part of why Brian Kelly is gone. The team is just trying to find a way to avoid total disaster.

Will LSU Even Go Bowling?

The players on the field aren't going to get a say in the next coach (bizarrely the Louisiana Governor is inserting himself though), but they do get a say in how this season ends. At 5-3, they still need ONE MORE WIN just to get to 6 wins and qualify for a bowl game. If they can't find it, they'll be staying home for the holidays.

Just look at what's left. There are four games, with three being against SEC teams, two being against ranked teams, and one against the top team in Conference USA.

What if They Get That 6th Win?

First up, LSU has to go to Alabama. The odds aren't in their favor for that 6th win there. Then they host Arkansas, which could be the 6th win, but it's the SEC between two teams with interim coaches...anything can happen.

Most people have the November 22nd game against Western Kentucky circled as the guaranteed 6th win. But in the immortal words of Lee Corso, not so fast my friend. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are currently 7-2 and are the top team in Conference USA. That could be an absolute home 'trap game' if LSU doesn't beat Arkansas.

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If they aren't able to close the deal against Arkansas or Western Kentucky...they have one last chance, on the road, at Oklahoma.

Let's say they handle business against Arkansas or Western Kentucky, and get that 6th win. What's the "reward"?

A 6 or 7 win record in the SEC means you get one of the last picks. The Tigers would fall into the SEC's "Pool of Six" bowls, and they'd be sent to whatever spot is left over. It might not be what LSU wanted coming into the season, but after what has happened to the program, they should feel lucky getting any bowl.

The Consolation Prize Projections

Checking in on what the national guys are predicting for the Tigers, the vibe feels like a Big 10 matchup is coming. Of these four major prediction sports outlets, three of them are predicting LSU will be playing a team from the Big 10 conference if they get to a bowl.

Here’s where the experts are guessing for where LSU would land:

CBS Sports: Music City Bowl vs. Northwestern

Sports Illustrated: Music City Bowl vs. Iowa

College Football News: Texas Bowl vs. Houston

Athlon Sports: Music City Bowl vs. Minnesota

The New LSU Goal: Just Get To A Bowl

You see the trend. It's a road trip to either Nashville or Houston.

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After starting the year with playoff dreams, the new goal is just...please don't finish with a losing record. As long as the Tigers get that 6th win, its a least a chance to finish the season on a high note, winning a bowl game, hoisting some kind of trophy, and looking forward to the next chapter of the program. But you have to get to 6 wins first.