What LSU Must Do to Separate Itself in the College Football Playoff Race

Long gone are the days of the Les Miles halfback dive on 3rd and 10.

When LSU hired Lane Kiffin as its head coach, the Tigers knew that a new type of offensive scheme was coming. Charlie Weis Jr. was Kiffin's offensive coordinator at Ole Miss since 2022 and followed him to help rebuild the LSU offense.

LSU's 2025 offense was the worst it had been in a long time, as the Tigers didn't score over 25 points against an FBS opponent until the Texas Bowl and were No. 101 out of 134 in the FBS in points per game.

LSU retooled its offensive coaches and got new players in the transfer portal. The talent and coaching rapport is there, but in a fast-paced Kiffin and Weis Jr. offense, LSU has to move like a machine to compete for a national championship

LSU's offense has to take advantage of its uniqueness

Garrett Nussmeier stands before a play against Ole Miss in 2025 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ole Miss made it all the way to the College Football Playoff semifinal round in 2025, and Kiffin even retroactively said, "We're definitely in [the national championship]. We ain't losing to Miami," if he were still the coach throughout the playoff.

That's an easy thing to believe, as Ole Miss only lost out on a Miami touchdown with 18 seconds left. The reason Ole Miss was making it so far was its offense that Kiffin had been perfecting.

Kiffin's signature offense typically runs no-huddle and attacks all parts of the field, moving like a freight train into the opposing red zone. Weis Jr. is great at designing the plays to work in the system.

With how the LSU offense has functioned over the last 15 years, it was strange to see the Tigers moving downfield with such pace in spring practices. LSU's new offensive pieces are falling into the system well, but it has to be perfected for LSU to set itself apart.

The first two games for LSU should fall together well, as LSU plays a Clemson team that faltered even more than LSU last year, and then Louisiana Tech. With both games also being at home, LSU has these two games to feel comfortable in its offensive attack before one of its biggest tests.

When LSU plays Ole Miss on Sept. 19, it will be the biggest test for the Tigers' offense. Coming into face a team that is looking for revenge and knows what the offense is going to bring could easily hamper the offense.

If LSU can prove that its offense can move quick in Kiffin's offense like a machine, it can catapult itself to the top of the list of national championship contenders.

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