All in: Tiger Town is betting big on the 2026 team

The Lane Kiffin era at LSU has seen a wild swing of highs and lows. There have been huge wins (Jordan Seaton), disasters averted (Brendan Sorsby) and PR black eyes (Vanity Fair).

And soon Kiffin will coach his first game for the Tigers.

With a coach on a $91 million contract and a roster budget that has reportedly exceeded $40 million, a rebuild is out of the question. The Lane Train must roll to wins. Lots of them. And the schedule might just set up for the Tigers to make a push to the College Football Playoff.

Sept. 5 vs. Clemson

Kiffin’s debut should be the peak Tiger Stadium experience: the biggest non-conference home game in nearly 20 years, with College GameDay and a primetime audience. Dabo Swinney is marching his team into a buzzsaw, which is why the home Tigers are 11.5-point favorites.

Sept. 12 vs. Louisiana Tech

Despite a loss in Baton Rouge, the Bulldogs broke through in Sonny Cumbie’s fourth season, winning eight games and the Independence Bowl. This will be a nice breather for LSU before…

Sept. 19 at Ole Miss

Oxford will be unhinged. The question is if the Rebels’ offense will be as effective without its maestros Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr., especially against Blake Baker’s talented defense.

Sept. 26 vs. Texas A&M

A brutal letdown spot for the Tigers, but at least it’s at home. The Aggies, who ended the Brian Kelly era a season ago, will be coming off a sleepy home game against Kentucky. After a dead sprint in September, the Tigers should exhale in October.

Oct. 3 vs. McNeese

Whew!

Oct. 10 at Kentucky

New coach Will Stein will run one of the fastest offenses in the country. Thankfully for LSU, they see the fastest offense every day in practice. Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey running Stein’s offense will be an interesting contrast from 13 years of Mark Stoops.

Oct. 17 vs. Mississippi State

The Bulldogs have beaten LSU just six times in the last 40 years. It’s great to see State back on the schedule after a two-year hiatus.

Oct. 24 at Auburn

Three consecutive weeks of facing warp speed offenses wraps with LSU’s first trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium since 2022. New coach Alex Golesh and dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown could make this team the sleeper in the SEC.

Nov. 7 vs. Alabama

When was the last time the Alabama game was the fourth-most anticipated on the LSU schedule?

Nov. 14 vs. Texas

COVID robbed LSU of a return trip from the Longhorns after the 2019 classic in Austin. If LSU survives a brutal September and sleepy October, Arch Manning’s trip to Tiger Stadium should be oozing with CFP implications.

Nov. 21 at Tennessee

Rocky Top in November will be beautiful. The Vols must replace quarterback Joey Aguilar, who lost his court case for an extra year of eligibility. Tennessee feels light years away from their CFP appearance two years ago.

Nov. 28 at Arkansas

It’s never easy against the Hogs. Back-to-back road conference games following Bama and Texas are unenviable. Such is life in the SEC—as new Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield will learn.

This article was originally published in 225 Magazine’s 2026 Tiger Pride edition.