LSU’s path to the College Football Playoff runs straight through a brutal November, and it starts Saturday with No. 9 Alabama in Tiger Stadium.
The No. 15 Tigers are staring at a stretch run that could define their season: Alabama at home, No.
10 Texas at home, No. 16 Tennessee on the road, and then Arkansas on Nov.
- If LSU handles that run and finishes the regular season at 10-2 and 7-2 in the SEC, the Tigers would be headed to the College Football Playoff for the first time since the 2019 national championship season.
There is still the possibility of a nuisance date in the last SEC Championship Game on Dec. 5 in Atlanta.
LSU coach Lane Kiffin put it bluntly: “When we don’t screw up games, we’re really hard to beat,” said LSU coach Lane Kiffin. “And I think we play as well as any team in the country.”
The Tigers are coming off an open date and enter Saturday as a 4.5-point favorite over Alabama. If they get past the Crimson Tide, LSU would likely be favored in the rest of its games.
The first CFP poll for the 12-team 2026-27 playoffs comes out Tuesday at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
Around the SEC, the other teams with two losses or fewer are also entering a demanding final stretch. No.
2 Georgia goes to No. 12 Ole Miss on Saturday, then hosts No.
19 Missouri before trips to South Carolina and a Nov. 28 game against Georgia Tech.
No. 8 Kentucky opens with a road trip to No.
16 Tennessee on Saturday, then gets No. 17 Florida, visits No.
19 Missouri and closes with Louisville.
No. 9 Alabama’s remaining schedule after LSU includes a trip to Vanderbilt, a home game against Chattanooga and Auburn on Nov. 28.
No. 10 Texas heads to No.
19 Missouri on Saturday, then visits LSU, hosts Arkansas and finishes at Texas A&M on Nov. 27.
No. 12 Ole Miss gets Georgia first, then travels to Oklahoma before home games against Wofford and Mississippi State.
No. 16 Tennessee faces Kentucky on Saturday, then Texas A&M, LSU and Vanderbilt.
No. 19 Missouri draws Texas, Georgia, Kentucky and Oklahoma in order to close the regular season.
In Other News...
LSU Just Changed A Game Day Tradition Before Alabama Weekend
LSU is tightening its game day playbook ahead of the Alabama weekend, and the changes go well beyond what happens between the lines. University officials announced new safety measures aimed at student gatherings after recent incidents involving uncontrolled crowds and disruptive behavior on campus, a sign that the school is trying to get ahead of the kind of chaos that can spill over when one of the seasons biggest home dates arrives.
The new policy includes bans on unauthorized large events, mandatory shutdowns of student tailgates before kickoff and postgame restrictions, all part of an effort to keep campus safer and more orderly on football Saturdays. LSU also is creating a Football Tailgating Steering Committee to oversee the process, underscoring how seriously the school is treating the push to preserve a family-friendly atmosphere around Tiger Stadium. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Just Got An Early Reality Check For LSU Showdown
The first betting line for LSUs Week 10 trip to Alabama already says plenty about how this matchup is being viewed heading into the 2026 college football season. LSU opened as a 4-point favorite in a game that figures to carry real weight in both the SEC race and the College Football Playoff picture, with both teams ranked and carrying similar records into a meeting that comes after bye weeks.
For Alabama, it is an early reminder that the script around this rivalry may be shifting, even if the history still leans heavily in its favor. The Crimson Tide own a 58-27-5 edge all-time and have won the last three meetings, but the market is treating this one like a true toss-up with LSU holding the early edge, which only adds another layer to a game that already feels like one of the leagues biggest measuring sticks. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Landed An Elite Big With Huge Long Term Upside
LSUs 2027 recruiting class got another major boost with the commitment of Xavier Young, a five-star big who has reclassified from the 2028 class. The move gives the Tigers an even more impressive foundation in a cycle that is already drawing attention, and it comes with the kind of long-term upside programs build around when they land an elite frontcourt prospect this early.
Young pointed to his trust in LSUs coaching staff and the chance to develop sooner against stronger competition as key parts of his decision. For the Tigers, it is another sign that the pitch is resonating with top talent, and another reason this class is starting to look like one that could shape the programs future well beyond the next season. [Read more 🡒]