Lane Kiffin's revamped LSU Tigers, fueled by a star transfer QB and new playmakers, already have playoff dreams, according to early odds.
The college football season is now officially over as the Indiana Hoosiers were crowned champions after an exciting bout with the Miami Hurricanes. The LSU Tigers are already eyeing next year's trophy.
Some sportsbooks released odds for the 2026/2027 College Football Playoff championship right after Monday night's game concluded.
FanDuel Sportsbook, for example, has the Tigers as the seventh-best odds to win the next title at +1400.
That puts LSU slightly ahead of teams like the Texas A&M Aggies (+1500), Texas Tech Red Raiders (+1600), Miami Hurricanes (+1900) and the Alabama Crimson Tide (+2200).
The teams favored ahead of the Tigers are the Georgia Bulldogs (+1100), Oregon Ducks (+900), Texas Longhorns (+750), Indiana Hoosiers (+700), Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+650) and Ohio State Buckeyes (+650).
Given that LSU has not returned to the Playoffs since winning it all after the historic 2019 campaign and finished just 7-6 last year, these are fairly high expectations.
That is all thanks to the hiring of Lane Kiffin as the new head coach and the work on the recruiting trails that his staff has already done, with a couple of key targets left uncommitted.
This is an almost entirely new team that will have to come together quickly if they want to find their way back into Playoff contention.
The biggest changes have occurred on the offensive side of the ball, which makes sense given that it is Kiffin's area of expertise and was particularly poor last season.
The Tigers brought in star transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt to lead the team, hoping to recapture some of the magic he displayed when bringing the Arizona State Sun Devils to the College Football Playoffs back in 2024.
Leavitt is an NFL hopeful who should provide LSU with its best signal caller since Jayden Daniels won the Heisman. Daniels also transferred over from the Sun Devils, coincidentally.
The wide receiver room has also been completely retooled. Kiffin targeted speedy deep threats in the portal and they got a number of them. Despite returning just one player, this is a group filled to the brim with playmakers.
The offensive line is still the most questionable spot. It's being piecemealed together after an exodus of disappointing talent. The Tigers have been pushing hard for Jordan Seaton, the top tackle in the portal, so that would really pull this group together if they pull it off.
The defense hasn't changed much, given that the staff remained the same, but that's a great thing. Blake Baker has proven very capable of leading a top defense in Baton Rouge. Losing players like Mansoor Delane and AJ Haulcy to the NFL draft will be a setback, but they were well-prepared to replace them.
At worst, this team should be in the College Football Playoffs at the end of the year. They certainly have the talent to compete and win it, but that will also depend on how quickly Kiffin can settle things with the numerous changes in key spots.
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