5 Questions About LSU Football That Will Be Answered in First Month Of Season
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It won't take long to know if LSU is going to be a national championship contender.
LSU has rough month to open and close the year, with some breathing room in between. If it can escape the first test, it should pass the second.
In Lane Kiffin's first year, the Tigers open the season against Clemson and Louisiana Tech at home. Then come two big tests against teams that made the College Football Playoff last year: at Ole Miss and at home against Texas A&M.
In what is the most anticipated football seasons ever at LSU, here are five things that the first month of the season will tell us.
How has LSU adapted to its new offense?
About 10 years ago, Les Miles was calling draw plays on 3rd & 10 and LSU was never a passing threat. But in 2026, Tiger quarterback Sam Leavitt will lead what should be one of the quickest and most dynamic offenses in the country.
Many of the projected offensive starters in the skill positions transferred into LSU. With so many athletes coming from different styles of offense, it might take time for them to get used to the offense that Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. will run.
But all of the athletes have explosiveness in common, which is necessary to succeed in this offense. It will be obvious after the first month if it's working or not.
Is the running game fixed?
LSU ranked 126th in the FBS in rushing yards per game in 2025, despite having a talented backfield featuring Harlem Berry and Caden Durham.
That backfield gets even better within Dilin Jones and other transfers in the mix. The offensive line was improved as well, mainly by adding tackle Jordan Seaton. The line was one of the biggest issues plaguing LSU last year.
The run game has to work to get LSU's explosive receivers involved, and it will only take a few games to know if it will be an issue again.
Is DBU here to stay?
LSU intercepted 17 passes last year in a revitalized defensive back group showing. Defensive coordinator Blake Baker and secondary coach Corey Raymond have stuck with the Tigers, leading the belief that there shouldn't be much drop off despite Mansoor Delane going to the NFL draft.
Cornerback DJ Pickett is entering his second season and will be backed by an elite safety group. All signs are pointing to it being a similar year to 2025, but the early games will tell if something is wrong or not.
Is the team ready to win in year one?
Kiffin is facing unprecedented pressure to make the playoff as a first-year head coach, from himself and others. Many of the 'others' would be donors who helped sculpt the approximately $40 million roster.
LSU got three highly-touted quarterbacks, a prime tackle in Seaton and defensive stars like Ty Benefield and Princewill Umanmielen. Many stars will only be at LSU for one year before heading to the NFL in april, so the pressure to get the money's worth is thick.
With two of the biggest games coming in the first month of the season, LSU will have a much clearer view on if it will be in the playoff picture by the time December rolls around.
Can the team perform well on the road?
Two games with major playoff implications for LSU come on the road: playing at Ole Miss on Sept. 19 and at Tennesse on Nov. 21. A loss to Ole Miss shouldn't hurt the Tigers playoff chances as much as a loss to Tennessee, so it needs to get the visiting kinks out early.
Both will be-to put it lightly-hostile environments.
LSU also has three other SEC games on the road, but those should easily fall in the Tigers' favor. The Ole Miss game should make it clear if LSU can take its talents on the road and play as well away as it does in Death Valley.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/lsu as 5 Questions About LSU Football That Will Be Answered in First Month Of Season.
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