Lane Kiffin ignites a bold new era in Baton Rouge, facing high-stakes showdowns against Clemson and Texas as the Tigers navigate a gauntlet of elite non-conference rivals.
All eyes will be on the LSU Tigers this football season as the world sees what is in store from Lane Kiffin and co. There will be major expectations for the team right away, whether or not that is actually fair.
While it will be exciting to see what the Tigers have in store in each game, some are more anticipated than others. Whether it be a spot for revenge or not, there are thrilling matchups scattered across LSU's schedule.
Here are the four most-anticipated Saturdays this fall for the Tigers:
1. at Ole Miss Rebels - Saturday, September 19
This is the obvious one. Everyone is excited to see what happens when Kiffin steps foot back into Oxford. It will be pandemonium on and off the field. LSU and the Rebels already had a major rivalry; this offseason has only magnified it tenfold.
Should the Tigers lose this game, it will cause a lot of noise that could end up as a distraction for the program. If they win it, however, it'll be a huge boost of confidence.
2. vs. Clemson Tigers - Saturday, September 5
While this is a revenge spot for Clemson, after losing last year's game, LSU fans will be most excited for this game because it's the first look at the new era.
It feels like there is almost no first-year grace being given to the Tigers right now, so they'll be expected to come out of the gates swinging. They'll at least be battled tested early, though Clemson isn't the same beast that they've been in recent memory, on paper at least.
3. vs. Texas A&M Aggies - Saturday, September 26
The SEC tried to force this to become a rivalry when it wasn't by putting this as the last game in the season before the new scheduling, and they succeeded. This has now become one of LSU's more fierce rivalries.
The Aggies have now won the last two meetings. Last year was the first time that the road team won since 2016. Now it's time for the Tigers to get their revenge, and could act as an early bump in the road for what is supposed to be a big year for Texas A&M.
4. vs. Texas Longhorns - Saturday, November 14
LSU has not faced off with the Longhorns since that vaunted 2019 matchup that really launched one of the best seasons in college football history. There isn't a rivalry here, but that was a very heated game which will certain cause some friction in the fanbase.
There is the added factor of megastar Texas quarterback Arch Manning, a Louisiana native who never even thought about suiting up in purple and gold.