LSU Football, Michigan Wolverines Among Programs With 'Most to Prove' in 2025

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers remain in headlines this fall as a program that is squarely in the mix as a College Football Playoff team in 2025.

After opening the season with a win over the Clemson Tigers, Kelly and Co. earned the program's first Week 1 victory of his tenure in Baton Rouge with the trajectory skyrocketing.

But after sluggish performances on offense across Weeks 2-6, the Bayou Bengals' lack of complementary became the storyline.

Fast forward to a loss at Ole Miss to close out September and the LSU program was at the forefront of the conversation surrounding teams that could "bust" down the stretch of the season.

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and Co. appear to be rounding the corner with the Tigers' QB1 intrigued at the potential of the offense.

LSU Tigers Football: Brian Kelly. — Courtesy of LSU Tigers Football.

"I'd rather be a team that starts to heat up late than heats up early on, and I'm really excited to see those guys really continuing to mesh now and growing," Nussmeier said.

"I think we're going in the right direction, which is what matters. And so hopefully by the time it gets to crunch time, we're ready to go."

CBS Sports has now labeled the LSU program as one that has the "most to prove" down the stretch of the season alongside the likes of the Michigan Wolverines and Texas Longhorns, among others.

The LSU Tigers:

"If the College Football Playoff started today, LSU would be squarely in the field for the first time since 2019. But it doesn't start today and, in spite of the lofty ranking next to its name, LSU has not looked entirely convincing thus far," CBS Sports wrote.

"The Tigers' most notable win -- their season opener against Clemson -- looks worse with each passing week and they lost in their only game against a currently ranked opponent.

LSU Tigers Football: Garrett Nussmeier. — Courtesy of LSU Tigers Football.

"The defense has taken significant strides. Surprisingly, it's the offense that has held LSU back this season. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is clearly battling through some injury issues, but he didn't look all that great before that.

"He's also not a very mobile quarterback playing behind a poor offensive line, which is a recipe for failure. The Tigers have not scored more than 20 points against a Power Four conference opponent. That's not going to cut it when they play the likes of No. 17 Vanderbilt, No. 6 Alabama and No. 4 Texas A&M."

The Michigan Wolverines:

"Michigan's got a steep hill to climb if it wants to be considered a serious contender for either the playoff or its own conference," CBS Sports wrote. "The Wolverines' 31-13 loss to USC in Week 7 hammered home the fact that they're a long way from the top.

"So far, they're 1-2 against currently ranked opponents with an average scoring margin of 8.7 points in the opponent's favor. Michigan's win against Nebraska also came before the Huskers were ranked inside of the AP Top 25, while USC beat Michigan while it was ranked.

Michigan Wolverines Football. — Oct 4, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) celebrates in the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

"Maybe it isn't a coincidence that Michigan's offense looked a lot better when coach Sherrone Moore was suspended. Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood hasn't looked the same since the Nebraska win. Moore could benefit from unleashing him.

"Perhaps most surprising, though, is the defense's poor play. Michigan just allowed a walk-on running back to rush for 158 yards and one touchdown on just 18 carries in the USC loss."

More LSU News:

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