Paul Finebaum Reveals Major Question Mark for SEC Contender

The LSU Tigers will likely be one of the most talked about teams this upcoming season.

All Eyes on Lane Kiffin

This comes due to the Tigers firing head coach Brian Kelly during the season and hiring Lane Kiffin away from the Ole Miss Rebels. Kiffin spent six seasons in Oxford, going 55-19 in that time frame. That included winning double-digit games in three of his last four seasons, arguably the best stretch in Ole Miss history.

His best season came in 2025, when he led the Rebels to an 11-1 season and their first College Football Playoff appearance.

However, after the regular season finale against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the Egg Bowl, Kiffin elected to leave Oxford for Baton Rouge.

Due to this decision, Kiffin was not allowed to coach the team during its playoff run. The Rebels won two playoff games before losing in the final seconds to the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

LSU Tigers new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Now that Kiffin is the head guy at LSU, there are a ton of expectations. When LSU has the right man at the helm, they are one of the best programs in the SEC, with a ton of resources. The hope is that Kiffin can use those elite resources and get the Tigers back to championship contention for the first time since 2019.

Paul Finebaum Sees LSU's Schedule as the Biggest Variable

On "The Paul Finebaum Show," the SEC Network analyst said there is one major question mark he has with LSU this year, and it all has to do with the schedule.

"When you look at the schedule, and you know what they have, it looks easy to make a strong prediction like you have," Finebaum said. "I know it's not, but where is the fault line for them other than their September schedule?"

September Could Decide LSU's Ceiling in 2026

The fast start will be crucial for LSU. It starts the year with a brutal stretch, which sees them take on the Clemson Tigers, Ole Miss Rebels and the Texas A&M Aggies. It is crucial for Kiffin to come out of that September slate 3-1 or better.

If the team starts sluggish at 2-2 or worse, it could be a long season. Towards the end of the season, the team will face the Alabama Crimson Tide, Texas Longhorns and Tennessee Volunteers in consecutive weeks.

If LSU navigates that early gauntlet, the Tigers will have a real shot to build momentum in Kiffin's first season. But if they stumble out of the gate, the pressure in Baton Rouge will ramp up quickly, especially with those three major games waiting later in the year.

That's why LSU's playoff hopes may be shaped long before the calendar even flips to October.

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