* – Tennessee vacated all wins due to NCAA violations. LSU was ineligible for postseason due to self imposed ban. Note: Due to COVID-19, the SEC played a conference-only schedule.
The season was not an easy one for LSU, who were the defending national champions. After starting the year with a stunning home loss to Mississippi State, the Tigers were only able to string together five wins. In addition to losing a record 14 players to the NFL draft the year before, All-American wide receiver, Ja'Marr Chase opted out of play before the season. The Tigers also lost their starting quarterback, Myles Brennan, three games in and had to rely on true freshmen, TJ Finley and Max Johnson, for the remainder of the year. In spite of these obstacles, the Tigers managed to end the season on a positive note with wins over sixth-ranked Florida and Ole Miss, the former as a 24-point underdog. The Tigers also had a scheduled home game vs. Missouri switched to Columbia three days before kickoff due to the threat of Hurricane Delta along the Louisiana coast.
By comparison, LSU had already eclipsed more losses by their seventh game of the season than they had in all of 2018 and 2019 combined. Still, the victories over Florida and Ole Miss allowed LSU to avert its first losing season since 1999, when the Tigers went 3–8. The .500 season is the first for LSU since a 5–5–1 ledger in 1974.
On December 9, LSU announced a self-imposed bowl ban for the 2020 season. Although the Tigers did not finish the season with six wins, the NCAA removed bowl eligibility requirements for the 2020 bowl season.[1] This self-imposed bowl ban was enacted due to an NCAA investigation at LSU over allegations of improper booster payments to their players.[2]
Preseason
SEC Media Days
In the preseason media poll, LSU was predicted to finish in second in the West Division behind Alabama. LSU received the second-most votes (tied with Georgia) to win the SEC Championship Game.[3]
Media poll (West Division)
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
1
Alabama
660 (86)
2
LSU
489 (8)
3
Auburn
488
4
Texas A&M
454 (2)
T5
Ole Miss
238
T5
Mississippi State
238
7
Arkansas
121
Media poll (SEC Championship)
Rank
Team
Votes
1
Alabama
77
T2
Georgia
7
T2
LSU
7
4
Florida
5
Schedule
LSU Tigers announced its 2020 football schedule on August 7, 2019. The 2020 schedule originally consisted of 7 home, 4 away, and 1 neutral site game in the regular season.
The Tigers had games scheduled against Nicholls, Rice, Texas, and UTSA, which were all canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4][5][6] Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic, LSU, like the other SEC members played a 10-game all conference schedule. The games vs. Vanderbilt and Missouri were not on the Tigers' original schedule.
^[a]The game between LSU and Missouri was originally scheduled to take place in Baton Rouge. However, in light of Hurricane Delta, the game was moved to Columbia, Missouri.
^[b]The game between LSU and Florida was originally scheduled to take place on October 17. However, due to COVID-19 management requirements in response to positive tests and subsequent quarantine of individuals within the Florida program, the game was rescheduled for December 12.[7]
