LSU Must Avoid These Traps On Its 2026 Schedule

The LSU Tigers look to get back on track after a down year in 2025 as the program heads into a new era under new head coach Lane Kiffin, who brings in plenty of new faces to Baton Rouge to get the Tigers ready to compete in 2026.

The Tigers will face tough challenges throughout the season, which start from week one, taking on the Clemson Tigers, who, just like LSU, are a national power that is looking to get back to prominence. And as always, the SEC schedule won't be easy with the Tigers taking on the likes of Texas A&M, Alabama, and Texas, among others.

Even against teams where LSU out-talents its opponent and should be penciled in as the odds-on favorite, those games are something of a challenge in the SEC. Here's a look at two conference games where the Tigers will have to be ready to go and avoid the unexpected upset.

Kentucky Wildcats

Lexington, Kentucky, has quickly become an underrated tough place to play for visiting teams, as teams battling at Kroger Field always seem to find themselves in a close dogfight with the Kentucky Wildcats.

Just a season ago, the Texas Longhorns nearly found themselves victims of an upset at Kroger Field, needing a 16-13 overtime win. And in 2024, the Wildcats nearly pulled a fast one on the Georgia Bulldogs as the Bulldogs left Lexington, narrowly winning 13-12.

LSU will have to be ready to take on the Wildcats on Oct. 10 to avoid being the next team that has to manage a way to escape its road trip to Kentucky. The Wildcats will be energized heading into the 2026 season as they also head into a new era with former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein taking over for longtime Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

The very next week, the Tigers face another team that will be looking to make a statement with an upset, hosting the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Oct. 17. The Bulldogs have quickly shown some improvement under head coach Jeff Lebby.

For a longtime the Bulldogs had been considered one of the "bottom" teams in the SEC, and Lebby has put in the work to try and change that narrative. After a rough first year in charge in 2024, when the Bulldogs went 2-10, there was some improvement in 2025 as Mississippi State ended the season 5-8

The Bulldogs pulled off a win against a rising program in the then No. 12-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils early on in the season. And during conference play, the Bulldogs had some of the top teams on the ropes, with the Longhorns escaping Starkville in overtime, and the Tennessee Volunteers winning by a lone touchdown.

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