The 12-Game Path for the Tigers
LSU fans starved for their first playoff run since 2019 — when the playoffs had just four teams a full five years before the current 12-team format — will clearly have their best chance since then to watch their Tigers in the postseason.
New coach Lane Kiffin has assembled one of the most talented teams in the country via a consensus No. 1-ranked portal class of 41 in addition to a solid, No. 13 signing class that will have a few members impacting as well. He also inherits one of the best rising defensive coordinators in the country in Blake Baker, who returns several key players to go with some gems on the front line added by Kiffin.
In a normal season, you could pencil the Tigers into the playoffs. But this is the first edition of the nine-game Southeastern Conference schedule, and LSU has five on the road for the first time. LSU could be excellent in 2026 and not quite make the playoffs. But if Kiffin can quickly merge the talent into one consistent force, the Tigers will be playing on Dec. 18 or 19 in the College Football Playoff…