LSU is back in the preseason mix — and the Tigers will have to earn it.
The 2026 US LBM Coaches Poll has *LSU at No. 13* with 951 points. It’s the highest preseason ranking for a team that finished last year unranked, after LSU went 7-6 and lost to Houston in the Texas Bowl. The Tigers are the 7th-highest ranked SEC team, behind Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Alabama. 7631
But the ranking might be the easy part. The schedule is brutal.
### *6 ranked opponents on tap*
According to the preseason poll, LSU faces *six ranked teams* in 2026, and half of them are in the top 10: 7631
1. No. 23 Clemson – Sept. 5, Tiger Stadium, 6:30pm ABC + College GameDay
2. No. 10 Ole Miss – Sept. 19, at Oxford, Magnolia Bowl
3. No. 8 Texas A&M – Sept. 26, Tiger Stadium
4. No. 11 Alabama- Nov. 7, Tiger Stadium
5. No. 4 Texas – Nov. 14, Tiger Stadium
6. No. 18 Tennessee- Nov. 21, at Knoxville d14c7631
That’s three top-10 teams at home in Death Valley in November alone.
Why the optimism at No. 13?
It’s Year 1 for Lane Kiffin in Baton Rouge after the Brian Kelly era ended. The Tigers also brought in the No. 1 transfer class, led by QB Sam Leavitt, plus an elite receiver group. ESPN’s FPI gives LSU a projected win total of 8.4 and a 39.7% chance to make the 12-team College Football Playoff. 7631cc6e7784
The FPI likes LSU early: 75.3% chance vs Clemson, 55.9% at Ole Miss, and 56.6% vs Texas A&M. But it gets tougher late — just 36% vs No. 4 Texas. 7784
One of the toughest schedules in the country
USA Today ranked LSU’s slate as the *10th toughest in college football* based on preseason rankings. The analysis calls out the stretch: open with Clemson, then Kiffin’s return to Ole Miss two weeks later, then Texas A&M. After a midseason breather, it closes with Alabama and Texas at home, then at Tennessee.
The full 2026 slate
Home: Clemson, Louisiana Tech, Texas A&M, McNeese, Mississippi State, Alabama, Texas
Road: Ole Miss, Kentucky, Auburn, Tennessee, Arkansas d14c
LSU hasn’t been ranked this high to start a year since 2023, when they opened at No. 9. But unlike that team, this one doesn’t get a soft ramp. Four of the first five weeks feature ranked opponents or major SEC tests. ba23
For Kiffin, it’s sink or swim right away. A strong September could put LSU right back in the playoff conversation. A slow start, and that No. 13 ranking will slide fast in the SEC gauntlet.
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