Kirk Herbstreit believes an SEC title would propel LSU into the College Football Playoff field. LSU checks in at No. 5 in the latest edition of the CFP rankings.

LSU will take on No. 1 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 3. The ESPN analyst said he thinks an LSU loss in the conference title matchup could potentially open the door for the loser of Ohio State vs. Michigan to gain entry into the CFP.

“If they were to win the SEC Championship, that would put them in. The loser of the Ohio State-Michigan game is rooting for Georgia to win and knock LSU out,” Herbstreit said on Tuesday night. “I think the other thing that stands out is what happens to USC, because you’re potentially setting up, with Ohio State and Michigan playing each other, you start to look down, if everything works out the way it should, which rarely it does, but if Georgia beats LSU, now you’ve got USC and Notre Dame and a Pac-12 championship.”

Herbstreit also cites USC as a factor if it picks up a second loss.

“If USC were to stumble, that’s where things would get really interesting,” Herbstreit said. “With the loser of the Ohio State-Michigan game, who is the discussion with, with that potential loser of that game. You are looking at a potential of getting both Ohio State and Michigan in if you get a couple losses there at 5 and 6. …”

However, Herbstreit emphasized that LSU remains the key cog in the playoff formula.

“The big thing is what’s going to happen to LSU. If they lose to Georgia, and if SC were to lose to Notre Dame or the Pac-12 championship, that’s what opens up this discussion,” Herbstreit said. “Because if SC takes care of business and the loser of the Ohio State-Michigan game lose that game, SC potentially goes up over LSU, if LSU loses in Atlanta. So SC’s very much alive.”

LSU-Georgia is slated for a 4 p.m. ET kickoff and will be televised on CBS. LSU brings a 2-game winning streak vs. Georgia into the matchup, including the 2019 SEC Championship Game.