The LSU Tigers are 4-0 and hold the No. 4 spot in the AP Top 25 Poll entering Week 5. A huge game is on deck as Brian Kelly leads his team to Oxford to face No. 13 Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon. It will be a tough test for both teams, and is just one of several difficult challenges remaining on LSU's 2025 football schedule.
Picking up wins at then No. 4 Clemson and at home in the SEC opener against Florida were clutch, but the Tigers still have a long way to go. Here are the three toughest remaining games on LSU's schedule this season.
3. at Oklahoma (Nov. 29)
The Oklahoma Sooners are off to a 4-0 start and have a pair of ranked wins against Michigan and Auburn. However, the Sooners suffered a crushing blow this week when it was announced that star QB John Mateer has to undergo surgery on his throwing hand after suffering an injury against Auburn. Mateer has shined at Oklahoma after transferring in from Washington State, and was the Heisman frontrunner following Week 4. He is slated to be out for several weeks, which is a huge loss for Brent Venables' squad.
With that being said, Oklahoma is still going to present a tough challenge for LSU. The Tigers don't travel to Norman until the last week of the regular season on Nov. 29, meaning that Mateer could be back by then. Furthermore, with Venables calling the shots, Oklahoma's defense is playing lights out so far in 2025. Through four weeks the Sooners lead the SEC by allowed just 207.5 yards per game to their opponents. The rushing defense has been especially stout, and Oklahoma also ranks second in the SEC in scoring by allowing a measly 9.0 points per game. The pass rush sacked Auburn QB Jackson Arnold a whopping nine times in Week 4, and figures to be a problem for opposing offensive lines all season long.
LSU won last year's matchup against Oklahoma by a score of 37-17 in the regular season finale. The matchup on Nov. 29 will be LSU's first trip to Norman in an SEC conference game.
2. at Ole Miss (Sept. 27)
The next upcoming game on LSU's schedule isn't an easy one. Ole Miss possesses one of the highest-scoring offenses in all of college football, and presents an extremely tough test for LSU's revamped defense. Ole Miss has scored 44.8 points per game this season, which includes 30 points against Kentucky and 41 points against Arkansas in their two SEC games.
Backup QB Trinidad Chambliss is emerging as a star, and it seems quite possible that he takes the No. 1 job from Austin Simmons. Chambliss is a dual-threat QB who has totaled 719 passing yards and four touchdowns without an interception through the air while rushing for 195 yards and two touchdowns on the season. The Tiger defense dominated Clemson and Florida, but both of those teams have spiraled against lesser opponents this season. Going on the road, Blake Baker's defense will be put to the test against the Rebels.
LSU's offense also needs to be sharp from the jump. Against teams not named Southeastern Louisiana, the Tiger offense has struggled to find a rhythm this season. The running game has been inconsistent and the passing game has lacked a vertical threat. Tiger fans are hoping the SELU game allowed the offense to work out the kinks, as keeping up with Lane Kiffin's offense also presents a challenge for LSU in this one.
1. at Alabama (Nov. 8)
Ever since Nick Saban retired, Alabama has looked more vulnerable under Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide have already suffered several colossal losses to unranked teams, which included losing this year's season opener at then-unranked Florida State. But, the Tide seem to have gotten back on track in recent weeks. Ty Simpson has rarely had an incomplete pass since Week 1, and has yet to throw an interception on the season.
LSU and Alabama have had plenty of heavyweight fights over the years, and winning in Tuscaloosa is never easy. Historically, Alabama owns the all-time edge in this series by a wide margin of 57-27-5. Alabama has won 14 of the last 18 meetings, and the Tigers have won at Bryant-Denny Stadium just once in their last six trips. LSU's lone win during that stretch came in 2019.
ESPN's Matchup Predictor currently gives LSU just a 23.1% chance of winning in this one, which is the lowest out of LSU's eight remaining regular season games. Fans will learn a lot about both of these teams in the weeks leading up to this contest on Nov. 8, but right now, this is a game that is circled on the calendar of every LSU fan.