Thursday night the SEC announced its 2026 football schedule for all 16 schools in a made for TV special over on the SEC Network that, in hindsight, probably could’ve just been an email. But I’m not a TV executive and I’ve never had to move that sweet, sweet inventory before so what do I know…
Anyway. Coming into tonight we knew what teams LSU would be playing in 2026, we just didn’t know the order nor do we know the kickoff times. Well, we at least have the dates of the new-look 9-game SEC schedule
and it’s a doozy for the Tigers.
Lane Kiffin’s tenure as LSU head coach is being thrown into the deep end early. The Tigers will, of course, open up the ‘26 season at home against Clemson to complete the home-and-home on September 5. The following week they’ll once again host Louisiana Tech, and maybe this time around they’ll score more than 23 points.
SEC play begins in Week 3 (September 19) when LSU travels to Oxford to take on Ole Miss, in a game that I’m sure will have no drama at all leading up to it. The Tigers close out September at home against Texas A&M on September 26. Remember, because of the scheduling change some matchups from this season are being repeated next season, and in LSU’s case they’re happening in consecutive weeks.
October ought to be LSU’s easiest month of the season with games against McNeese (October 3), at Kentucky* (October 10), and then we get to reunite with our old pals Mississippi State (October 17) and Auburn (October 24).
*I say at Kentucky ought to be easy, but keep in mind the last time LSU won in Lexington was the Bluegrass Miracle. I’m not saying, I’m just saying…
The Tigers will get their usual Halloween week bye and they’ll need it because they have an absolutely brutal month of November: Alabama, who will probably be led by like Jon Gruden or something after Kalen DeBoer leaves for Michigan, Texas in the home finale, and back-t0-back road games against Tennessee and Arkansas to close out the regular season.
With so much roster turnover due to happen it’s silly to predict what LSU’s final record will be at the end of Lane Kiffin’s first year. But, if I’m being completely unbiased here I’m gonna go ahead and pencil in a 12-0 record.
