Lane Kiffin already has the LSU Football program dealing with sky high expectations entering the 2026 season. Kiffin hasn't missed a beat since coming to Baton Rouge, and has revamped LSU's roster in a major way. His roster moves have Tiger fans fired up for the 2026 campaign after the Brian Kelly era ended in major disappointment.
Lane Kiffin’s debut LSU transfer class continues to earn high praise
The first game of the Lane Kiffin era at LSU is set for Saturday, September 5 when Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers come to Baton Rouge. The matchup between the two Tiger teams is still over seven months away, but professional oddsmakers have already released opening odds.
Oddmakers make big statement with early LSU vs. Clemson betting odds
FanDuel Sportsbook has released betting odds for several Week 1 games, and oddsmakers have made a big statement when it comes to the LSU vs. Clemson spread.
As of 1:00 P.M. CT on Thursday, January 29, LSU is favored by 10.5 points over Clemson. Furthermore, LSU has moneyline odds of -430 while Clemson has odds of +330.
The large spread in LSU's favor continues to build expectations for Kiffin's first season in Baton Rouge. With odds of +1600, LSU currently has the 9th-best odds to win the National Championship next season.
Oddsmakers are liking what they are seeing from Kiffin's roster upgrades. He's inked the No. 1 portal class in the country and retained several impact players from last season. The incoming recruiting class also features a trio of 5-stars in DL Lamar Brown, DL Richard Anderson, and WR Corey Barber. In total, Kiffin has signed six 5-star players at LSU, which is double the amount he signed over the course of six seasons at Ole Miss.
LSU looking to sweep Clemson in home and home series
LSU defeated Clemson 17-10 in Week 1 of the 2025 season as 4-point underdogs on the road. The victory marked LSU's first season-opening win since 2019, and gave the program plenty of momentum early on.
However, the season went downhill after that, as three losses before the end of October dropped LSU to 5-3 overall and led to the firing of Brian Kelly.
But Kiffin has re-tooled LSU's roster for 2026, and Tiger fans are excited to see what he can do in Year 1. With hopes of competing for another national title, picking up a win over Clemson in the season opener would do wonders for Kiffin and the Tigers.