Louisiana drops 52 spots in SP+ amid identity crisis
- Coverage leans bullish — but with real dissent
- Win total 7.5 — line flat since open
- Louisiana collapsed 52 spots in SP+ — the 6-7 record and #91 talent rank reveal a stark…
How past storylines turned out
Louisiana's defensive coordinator change has died down — no clear next chapter yet.
How it developed newest first
Louisiana: an outside ruling reshaping the program's season.
why it mattersMichael Desormeaux enters his fifth season with a 6-7 losing record, raising questions about whether the Ragin' Cajuns can reclaim their Sun Belt dominance. ~ our read
Louisiana: the fanbase's identity shifting.
why it mattersMichael Desormeaux's fifth season opens with a 6-7 losing record, raising questions about whether the Ragin' Cajuns can sustain their identity beyond the Napier era. ~ our read
Louisiana enters 2026 rated No. 105 in 2025 SP+ (-10.1), down 52 spots from 2024.
why it mattersLouisiana collapsed 52 spots in SP+ — the 6-7 record and #91 talent rank reveal a stark disconnect from the Napier-era dominance that still defines the Ragin' Cajuns' identity in the Sun Belt. ~ our read
Louisiana enters 2025 rated No. 105 in SP+ (-10.1), down 52 spots from 2024.
why it mattersLouisiana collapsed 52 spots in SP+ under Michael Desormeaux — a fanbase built on Billy Napier’s four straight Sun Belt titles now faces its steepest drop since that dynasty. ~ our read
Watch next
The non-obvious thing to track
Louisiana’s 2025 SP+ rating suggests a steep decline in program strength, which may affect recruiting and fan engagement more than the initial ranking drop appears to indicate. Watch how Louisiana fares against FBS opponents in the first month of the 2026 season, as early results will test the validity of the 2025 SP+ model.
~ our read
Rooms tap to switch
The off-field storyline driving the noise right now. Not analysis — the soap opera, and that's the point.
The 'the projection is underselling us' read — fans betting the season beats the preview number.
The 'the model has seen the tape' counter — efficiency ratings reward what a program has actually done, not hope.
This event was in 22 of 61 board posts (36%) over the last 60 days — a fanbase consumed by it. Fan text shown verbatim, attributed to the community not the individual poster.
The boards ≠ the fanbase: a vocal, self-selected slice.
The range the bull case vs the counter
“PFF grades, snap counts from USC football's Louisiana win”
“PALMER: Run game now a concern as monster matchups loom”