LSU Football 2025: A Playoff-or-Bust Season Begins
After a high-stakes offseason, the LSU Tigers enter the 2025 college football season with one goal: making the College Football Playoff. Head coach Brian Kelly and his staff went all-in on the transfer portal, aggressively reshaping the roster to finally push the program back into national title contention. Now in Year 4 of the Brian Kelly era, the pressure is on. With a roster built to win now and a massive salary backing him, it’s clear—this is a Playoff-or-bust season for LSU.
If the Tigers are going to make a serious run, it will hinge on winning three pivotal matchups:
Week 1: LSU at Clemson
The Brian Kelly era has yet to start a season on the right foot. He’s 0-3 in season openers—two losses to Florida State and one to USC—and LSU’s streak of opening-game losses stretches back to Ed Orgeron’s final two years. Another loss to start the season would only increase the noise around whether Kelly is truly the right man for the job.
Unfortunately for LSU, this year’s opener might be the toughest yet. A road trip to face Clemson, a national title contender, presents a daunting challenge. LSU’s roster is loaded with talent, but it’s also full of newcomers—particularly in the secondary and along the offensive line. The Tigers will start four new offensive linemen and face a Clemson defensive front that features four potential first-round picks. In the secondary, an almost entirely new group will have to immediately match up with one of the best receiving corps in the country.
For LSU to reach the Playoff, it starts by flipping the narrative around season openers. A win in Death Valley (the other one) could launch the Tigers into the national spotlight. A loss could leave them playing catch-up all year in an unforgiving SEC gauntlet.
Week 6: South Carolina at LSU
Last year’s LSU-South Carolina clash was a thriller—and a controversial one. The Gamecocks left Baton Rouge bitter about several key calls, and revenge will be on their minds this fall. With both teams returning elite quarterbacks—Garrett Nussmeier for LSU and LaNorris Sellers for South Carolina—this game has major Heisman and Playoff implications.
LSU has struggled mightily in recent years against mobile quarterbacks. Alabama’s Jalen Milroe torched the Tigers with 340 rushing yards and eight rushing TDs over the past two seasons. Even Texas A&M found life by inserting Marcel Reed, who ran for three scores. Shane Beamer will undoubtedly look to use Sellers in a similar fashion, and LSU’s retooled defense must prove it can finally contain a dual-threat signal caller.
This game could serve as a turning point for both programs. Each enters the season with talent and high expectations, but also with question marks. Whoever wins in Baton Rouge will be in the Playoff hunt. The loser could see its postseason hopes take a major hit.
Week 9: LSU at Alabama
Few games in college football carry more weight than LSU-Alabama, and 2025 is no exception. Alabama has won the last two matchups, largely thanks to the legs of Jalen Milroe. But with Milroe now in the NFL, LSU gets a reprieve from their recent tormentor. Projected Bama starter Ty Simpson has mobility, but he’s not the game-breaker Milroe was on the ground.
Still, Alabama is Alabama—and last year’s blowout loss in Baton Rouge lingers. By Week 9, depending on how LSU handles Clemson, South Carolina, and the rest of its SEC slate, this could be a must-win to stay in Playoff contention. The Tigers need to prove they can go into Tuscaloosa and win under pressure. If they do, it might be the signature victory that propels them to the final four.
Bottom Line:
LSU has the talent. It has the coaching investment. It has the ambition. Now, it needs the wins. For Brian Kelly and the Tigers, anything less than a College Football Playoff berth will be seen as a failure. The road won’t be easy, but it’s clear: the season hinges on Clemson, South Carolina, and Alabama. Survive that gauntlet, and the Tigers could finally be back where they belong—competing for a national championship.
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