LSU’s trip to Auburn turned into a statement win, and the national poll voters noticed.
After a 38-17 rout on Saturday, LSU climbed from No. 18 to No. 15 in the Associated Press poll on Sunday. The victory came with a little extra edge, too: LSU’s 21-point margin was its biggest ever at Auburn, where the Tigers have played 23 times since 1903 and now hold 11 wins against 12 losses.
The scene at Jordan-Hare Stadium said plenty before the final whistle. The stands thinned out early in the afternoon, and Toomer’s Corner was empty. Late in the game, one LSU fan even held up a sign that read, “Save you toilet paper,” according to Scott Rabalais of the Baton Rouge Advocate.
LSU’s offense piled up 552 yards, with quarterback Sam Leavitt accounting for 387 through the air on 32-of-45 passing and adding 54 rushing yards on eight carries. On the other side, LSU’s defense held Auburn to 271 total yards and just 67 on 35 carries, and Blake Baker’s unit delivered seven sacks.
“When games are dominated that way, score, yardage, almost all areas, that means a lot of people are doing things right,” Kiffin said. They did it by playing really sound football.
Didn’t make a lot of mistakes, dominated the line of scrimmages - seven sacks on defense. The offense had a great day.
We slowed tempo in the fourth quarter.”
“This was what the whole thing was supposed to look like when it was put together.” … Lane Kiffin post Auburn
- Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) October 25, 2026
The win also gave LSU its first road victory in the SEC since beating Arkansas in 2024.
Now at 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the Southeastern Conference, LSU heads into an open week before a crucial stretch that could shape its College Football Playoff push. The Tigers return on Nov. 7 to host No.
10 Alabama, which beat Texas A&M 31-20 on Saturday. Kickoff is set for either between 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. or 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Tiger Stadium.
Then comes No. 11 Texas, which moved up eight spots after edging No.
7 Ole Miss 34-27 in Austin. Ole Miss fell to No.
- After that, LSU goes back on the road to face No.
16 Tennessee, which dropped five spots after a 27-24 loss at unranked South Carolina.
At the top of the poll, Miami stayed No. 1 at 7-0. Ohio State was No. 2, followed by Georgia, Indiana, Notre Dame, Utah, UCLA, BYU, Kentucky and Alabama.
The rest of the top 25: Texas at No. 11, Ole Miss at No.
12, Texas Tech at No. 13, Wake Forest at No.
14, LSU at No. 15, Tennessee at No.
16, Florida at No. 17, Houston at No.
18, SMU at No. 19 and Boise State at No. 20.
Northwestern, Arizona, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin rounded out the final five.
“When we don’t screw things up,” Kiffin said, “we’re really hard to beat and play as anyone in the country.”
In Other News...
LSUs Auburn Grades Exposed Whos Fueling This Surge And Who Isnt
LSUs 38-17 win over Auburn came with another strong mark from Pro Football Focus, as the Tigers posted an overall team grade of 83.6 for the second straight week above 80. That kind of consistent grading matters because it suggests the performance was not just a one-off bounce, but a sign that LSU is starting to stack complete games on both sides of the ball.
The individual numbers help explain why. Jackson Harris led the way with a 90.2 grade, while DJ Pickett also stood out at 84.6, giving LSU impact plays at key spots. On the other end, Tre Brown and William Satterwhite II landed near the bottom of the chart, a reminder that even in a convincing win, there are still areas the Tigers will want to clean up as the schedule moves on. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Is Climbing But One Thing Still Stands Between The Tigers And The Playoff
A wild weekend across college football has opened the door for movement in the AP poll, and LSU could be one of the teams to benefit from the chaos. Two previously unbeaten teams fell to unranked opponents, and two other one-loss teams did the same, giving pollsters plenty to weigh as they reshuffle the top of the rankings. Miami is expected to stay at No. 1 after another dominant win, but the ripple effects could be felt well beyond the top spot.
For LSU, the bigger picture is clear: the Tigers are climbing, and the landscape around them is helping. With so many teams in the mix taking losses, the path to the playoff looks a little more favorable on paper, even if the Tigers still have work to do to keep moving in the right direction. Oklahoma State, Iowa and Texas Tech are among the teams facing potential movement as well, making this one of those weeks when the rankings could tell as much about survival as they do about success. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs New Backcourt Just Changed The Feel Around This Team
For the first time with its full roster on the floor, LSU gave a clearer glimpse of what this team might look like this season in an exhibition against Florida State. The Tigers came up short 89-87, but the game still offered plenty of reasons for optimism, especially with the new backcourt starting to take shape and the offense showing more rhythm than it has at other points in the preseason.
Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark were the headliners, with Dent finishing with 24 points and nine assists and Clark adding 21 points and eight rebounds. Those numbers mattered less than the way the two seemed to steady LSU throughout the night, a promising sign for a team that appears to have more balance and shot-making than it did a year ago. The real test starts November 3 against LSU New Orleans Privateers, but the feel around this group has already changed. [Read more 🡒]