LSU Makes Massive Jump In CBS Sports Preseason College Football Rankings

LSU will enter the 2026 season as a top-10 team in the CBS Sports 138, with the Tigers checking in at No. 10 in the preseason rankings.

The ranking represents a massive jump for LSU, which finished last season at No. 53. CBS Sports pointed to the “Lane Kiffin effect” as a major reason for the 43-spot rise as the Tigers prepare for Kiffin’s first season in Baton Rouge.

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No. 10 LSU (+43): The Lane Kiffin effect has taken over all of college football, and here, it includes a massive jump from where the Tigers sank at the end of last year to the expectations of contending for a College Football Playoff in Year 1 of the new regime. LSU's investment in Kiffin and the roster has made it easy for our experts to place LSU in a top 10 or top 15, but Tigers fans are hoping the results on the field lead to moves up closer to that national title contention that comes with being the coach in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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Preseason CBS Sports Top 25 (2025 Final Ranking):
1. Ohio State (3)
2. Oregon (5)
3. Notre Dame (8)
4. Texas (13)
5. Georgia (6)
6. Indiana (1)
7. Miami (2)
8. Texas Tech (7)
9. Oklahoma (12)
10. LSU (53)
11. Texas A&M (9)
12. Ole Miss (4)
13. Alabama (11)
14. USC (16)
15. Michigan (20)
16. BYU (10)
17. Tennessee (32)
18. Penn State (46)
19. Washington (26)
20. SMU (27)
21. Iowa (21)
22. Florida (71)
23. Missouri (34)
24. Utah (14)
25. Louisville (35)

The entire CBS Sports 138