CBS Sports Ranks College Football's Toughest Schedules For CFP Contenders In 2026

LSU checked in at No. 7 on CBS Sports' rankings of college football's toughest 2026 schedules for top CFP contenders after spring practices:

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7. LSU
Number of ranked opponents in post-spring top 25: 6

Challenges are baked into SEC schedules, but LSU drew a version that stacks good teams and offers very little margin for error for Lane Kiffin in his first season. The Tigers could face stretches in which multiple ranked opponents appear in consecutive weeks, leaving no time to reset -- Ole Miss and Texas A&M in September, along with a November trifecta that includes Texas and Alabama. That's where the SEC grind shows up most -- not just in who you play, but how often you're asked to play at a near-perfect level.

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Top 12:

1. Texas
Number of ranked opponents in post-spring top 25: 8

2. Oklahoma
Number of ranked opponents in post-spring top 25: 7

3. Ohio State
Number of ranked opponents in post-spring top 25: 6

4. Michigan
Number of ranked opponents in post-spring top 25: 6

5. Ole Miss
Number of ranked opponents in post-spring top 25: 6

6. Texas A&M
Number of ranked opponents in post-spring top 25: 6

7. LSU
Number of ranked opponents in post-spring top 25: 6

8. USC
Number of ranked opponents in post-spring top 25: 5

9. Georgia
Number of ranked opponents in post-spring top 25: 5

10. Alabama
Number of ranked opponents in post-spring top 25: 4

11. Oregon
Number of ranked opponents in post-spring top 25: 4

12. Indiana
Number of ranked opponents in post-spring top 25: 4