BATON ROUGE — The LSU Tigers saw their postseason margin for error vanish Tuesday evening after tumbling seven spots to No. 21 in the second official College Football Playoff rankings release.

LSU (6-3) dropped from its initial debut at No. 14 following a 31-13 home defeat against Alabama, now ranked No. 3. The double-digit loss dropped the Tigers deep into the selection committee's Top 25, leaving them well outside the projected 12-team postseason field.

Under the 12-team format, the five highest-ranked conference champions secure automatic berths, while the next seven highest-ranked programs receive at-large invitations. Sitting nine spots removed from the bubble, LSU’s path requires sweeping the remainder of its regular season alongside significant attrition across the national landscape.

The Tigers have immediate chances to recoup ground against top-ranked opposition, beginning with an SEC showdown against No. 6 Texas before traveling to Knoxville to face No. 8 Tennessee. The selection committee will unveil updated rankings each Tuesday leading up to Selection Day on Dec. 6.