LSU 2026 Preview
The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network continues its 138 college football team preview series with the LSU Tigers 2026 Season Preview. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD) & Ryan McIntyre (@Moneyline_Mac) break down the 2026 LSU Tigers roster and what to expect in the SEC this season. Can Lane Kiffin turn around a program coming off a 7-6 season in his first year in Baton Rouge? And is Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt the answer at quarterback after a 4,652-yard, 46-touchdown college career?
Can an offense that ranked 111th nationally and 126th on the ground in 2025 take a leap under new coordinators Charlie Weis Jr. and Joe Cox? Does a defense that finished 27th in total defense under Blake Baker hold up in the SEC? How does Kiffin navigate a schedule that opens with Clemson and runs through Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama, Texas and Tennessee? Should every college football fan get to a game at Tiger Stadium aka Death Valley? Did LSU win or lose the transfer portal in 2026? And where’s the betting value on the LSU Tigers win total, SEC odds and College Football Playoff chances? We talk it all and more on this episode of The College Football Experience.
Lane Kiffin Takes Over In Baton Rouge
This LSU 2026 preview opens with a new man in charge. Lane Kiffin takes over in Baton Rouge after the Tigers went 7-6 a season ago. So the deck rates his hot seat just 1 out of 10, one of the coolest marks in the SEC. First, Kiffin inherits a roster that underachieved under the last staff. Then he gets a full offseason to rebuild it through the transfer portal. Because he sits at 0-0 at LSU, the pressure reads as opportunity more than heat right now. Meanwhile the fan base wants a quick return to contention. From there, year one becomes a referendum on the hire.
Sam Leavitt And A New-Look Offense
LSU’s offense ranked 111th nationally in 2025, with the rushing attack down at 126th. First, Kiffin overhauls the staff, installing coordinators Charlie Weis Jr. and Joe Cox. Then he lands Sam Leavitt out of the transfer portal to run it. Leavitt arrives as a redshirt junior from Arizona State by way of Michigan State. Across 20 career starts he has thrown for 4,652 yards with 46 total touchdowns and just 11 interceptions. Because of that resume, he is the clear answer at quarterback. Meanwhile the portal class reloads the skill positions around him. From there, the offense has to climb fast in the SEC.
The Defense Sets The Floor
LSU’s defense gives the roster its steadiest unit. First, the group ranked 27th nationally in total defense last season. Then it finished 24th in scoring defense, a top-25 mark. The run defense held up too, landing 32nd against the ground game. Blake Baker returns to call it, now paired with Chris Kiffin on staff. Because that group carries real production, the floor here looks solid. Meanwhile the pass defense sat 42nd, so there is room to tighten the back end. From there, the defense could be what keeps LSU in the SEC race.
The Schedule, Death Valley And The Win Total
LSU opens the 2026 schedule at home against Clemson in a marquee Week 1 clash. First, Louisiana Tech follows before a road trip to Ole Miss. Then Texas A&M and McNeese State lead into a visit to Kentucky. From there, Mississippi State, Auburn, Alabama, Texas and Tennessee stack up in a brutal SEC gauntlet. Arkansas closes the regular season on the road. What does a Saturday feel like at Tiger Stadium aka Death Valley when the crowd is roaring? The deck sets the LSU win total at 8.5 wins, with the Tigers at plus 900 to win the SEC and plus 160 to make the College Football Playoff. So the hosts weigh the over against a first-year staff and a loaded slate.
College Football Previews
SEC
Arkansas Razorbacks
Auburn Tigers
Georgia Bulldogs
Kentucky Wildcats
LSU Tigers
Missouri Tigers
Oklahoma Sooners
South Carolina Gamecocks
Tennessee Volunteers
Big Ten
Illinois Fighting Illini
Iowa Hawkeyes
Michigan State Spartans
Northwestern Wildcats
USC Trojans
Washington Huskies
Big 12
Baylor Bears
Iowa State Cyclones
Kansas State Wildcats
Oklahoma State Cowboys
TCU Horned Frogs
Texas Tech Red Raiders
UCF Knights
West Virginia Mountaineers
ACC
Boston College Eagles
Clemson Tigers
Miami Hurricanes
Pittsburgh Panthers
Syracuse Orangemen
Virginia Cavaliers
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Pac-12
Boise State Broncos
Fresno State Bulldogs
San Diego State Aztecs
Washington State Cougars
American
Army Black Knights
Navy Midshipmen
Temple Owls
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Mountain West
Air Force Falcons
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
New Mexico Lobos
San Jose State Spartans
Sun Belt
Arkansas State Red Wolves
Georgia Southern Eagles
Georgia State Panthers
Louisiana Ragin Cajuns
Marshall Thundering Herd
South Alabama Jaguars
MAC
Bowling Green Falcons
Buffalo Bulls
Miami OH Redhawks
Ohio Bobcats
Toledo Rockets
Umass Minutemen
Western Michigan Broncos
Conference USA
Jacksonville State Gamecocks
Liberty Flames
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
Independents
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
UConn Huskies
Podcast Chapters
00:00 Welcome To The LSU Tigers Preview
06:09 Lane Kiffin Hired At LSU
07:15 Last Season And Why Brian Kelly Failed
10:32 Can Kiffin Win Big At LSU
17:53 Coach O Returns And Program Expectations
23:16 The Offense Was Shockingly Bad
24:19 Sam Leavitt And The Portal Quarterback
31:02 Portal Haul And Offense Rebuild
33:51 Defensive Staff And Co-Coordinator Questions
35:31 Defensive Talent And Regression Debate
38:02 LSU NIL And Baton Rouge Tailgate Love
43:40 Tiger Stadium Legends And Program Rating
47:09 Week One Clemson Clash
49:36 Ole Miss And The Texas A&M Trap Game
54:33 The Bama, Texas And Tennessee Gauntlet
58:59 The Under Bet And Wrap Up
