The LSU football program enters what could be a make or break year for Brian Kelly. Kelly is entering his fourth season in Baton Rouge, and has yet to win an SEC championship or take the Tigers to the College Football Playoff.
After re-tooling his roster with 18 transfer players and bringing back veteran quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, a lot is expected of Kelly this season. Expectations for LSU continue to soar, as LSU is ranked No. 9 in the first AP Top 25 Poll of the season, which was released on Monday. The Tigers are one of 10 SEC teams to make the top 25, with Texas claiming the No. 1 spot.
LSU's 2025 schedule is a daunting one that is riddled with teams featured in the first AP Poll. In total, LSU is slated to play seven regular season games against teams featured in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll. Six are SEC opponents, with a Week 1 matchup against Clemson highlighting LSU's non-conference slate.
Regular season gauntlet can prepare Tigers for postseason play
ESPN's college football power index ranks LSU's strength of schedule this season at No. 11 in the country. Some college football analysts even rank LSU's strength of schedule as the sixth-toughest in the country. No matter how you slice it, the Tigers are in for a gauntlet of a regular season.
Teams on LSU's schedule that are featured in the first AP Top 25 Poll of the season include No. 4 Clemson, No. 8 Alabama, No. 13 South Carolina, No. 15 Florida, No. 18 Oklahoma, No. 19 Texas A&M and No. 21 Ole Miss.
After battling Clemson in Week 1, LSU then runs through a gauntlet of an SEC schedule that doesn't do them many favors. LSU hosts No. 15 Florida on Sept. 13 and travels to No. 21 Ole Miss on Sept. 27. That's three matchups against preseason top-25 teams in the first month of the season, with two coming on the road.
After returning home from Oxford, LSU has a critical four-game stretch against No. 13 South Carolina, at Vanderbilt, vs No. 19 Texas A&M, and at No. 8 Alabama. This stretch of games could make or break LSU's season.
LSU then has back-to-back home games against Arkansas and Western Kentucky on Nov. 15 and 22. The Tigers wrap up the regular season on the road against No. 18 Oklahoma on Nov. 29. It will be the first SEC matchup between the Sooners and Tigers in Norman. LSU defeated Oklahoma 37-17 in last year's regular season finale at Tiger Stadium.
A schedule like that can prepare LSU for a postseason run. Eight SEC games and a non-conference road game against Clemson makes for a tough road ahead. However, LSU has the talent and experience to make a run. If the Tigers take care of business and secure a spot in the SEC title game and College Football Playoff, they will be among the most battle-tested teams in the country. They have a chance to really put the country on notice with a win against Dabo Swinney and company in a few short weeks. As it stands, professional oddsmakers are favoring Clemson by four points. But LSU fans are hungry for an upset, and a win could spark a special season in Baton Rouge.