LSU’s path to the College Football Playoff is lined with heavyweight opponents, and the preseason coaches poll made that crystal clear on Tuesday.
The Tigers landed at No. 13 in the preseason rankings, but the bigger number might be the one attached to their schedule: six opponents are ranked in the coaches poll, including four in the top 11. LSU will face No.
4 Texas, No. 8 Texas A&M, No.
10 Ole Miss on the road, No. 11 Alabama, No.
18 Tennessee away and No. 23 Clemson, the lone ranked non-SEC opponent on the slate.
That opening matchup with Clemson comes first. LSU hosts the Tigers on Sept. 5 in Tiger Stadium, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. on ABC.
The schedule is the kind that can make a résumé look awfully strong by season’s end, though LSU coach Lane Kiffin recently made clear he does not believe strength of schedule gets the weight it should in the CFP selection process.
“My concern is the selection process is not fixed until it is truly fixed to reward strength of schedule,” LSU coach Lane Kiffin said recently as the Southeastern Conference moves to a nine-game league schedule this season for the first time.
For now, LSU can only play the hand in front of it. And that hand is brutal.
Ohio State sits at No. 1 in the preseason poll, with Oregon at No. 2 and Georgia at No. 3.
Georgia is one of three SEC teams ranked that LSU does not play, along with No. 9 Oklahoma and No.
25 Missouri.
The rest of the top 10 includes Notre Dame at No. 5, defending national champion Indiana at No. 6 and Miami at No. 7. Texas A&M checks in at No. 8, while Oklahoma and Ole Miss round out the top 10.
Here’s the full top 25 in the preseason coaches poll: Ohio State, Oregon, Georgia, Texas, Notre Dame, Indiana, Miami, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Alabama, Texas Tech, LSU, USC, BYU, Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee, Washington, SMU, Utah, Iowa, Clemson, Houston and Missouri.
LSU’s No. 13 ranking puts it just behind Texas Tech and ahead of USC in the poll released by the US LBM Board of Coaches for the 2026 season.
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