ESPN Identifies The Biggest Lingering Question Facing LSU In 2026

By Staff ReporterJul 17, 202611:22 amDiscuss the story17
Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
ESPN writers recently compiled a list of "lingering questions" for every Top 25 College Football team heading into the season.

For LSU, they questioned whether first-year head coach Lane Kiffin can immediately deliver results in Baton Rouge.
quote:

10. LSU Tigers
2025 record: 7-6, 3-5 SEC

Can Lane Kiffin deliver the goods?

We can just take "lingering" out of the subject line and go with the only question that matters: Will Kiffin transform LSU into a national title contender in his first year on the job? He did not jump from Ole Miss to the Tigers just to be OK. There is a championship pedigree in Baton Rouge, and though Kiffin has never won it all as a head coach, the expectation among LSU faithful is national title or bust. Kiffin went into the portal and put together a roster that is capable, given its talent. Maybe his newly hired special assistant for recruiting and defense, Ed Orgeron, can give him a few pointers. -- Adelson
17 Comments
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TDsngumbo1 day
7-6? We went 7-6 last year with a retired head coach and a quarterback who damn near threw backwards passes. Kiffin is not allowing LSU to go 7-6 this year.
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BigDaddy66121 day
Don’t talk bad about Nuss lol, the homers think he’s going to the Hall in the league.
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mike4lsu1 day
We are playing 10 power 5 conference teams this year.
@Auburn: How many great Tiger teams have had their hopes dashed their
@Tennessee: In the winter it is a tough place to play
Alabama: See the record of the past 20 years and 100 years
Texas: That team has more NFL starters than an NFL team
@Arkansas: Fayetteville in the last week of November is a tough place.
Clemson: We start with what 40-50 new players in the first game. There will be growing pains. Clemson is no slouch.
@Ole Miss: That place will look like Normandy on 6th June 1944.
TAMU: They will come locked and loaded.
@Kentucky: Last win there was the blue grass miracle, 2002.

The schedule is brutal with a brand new team, learning a brand new system where not a whole lot of players have played with each other.

....The "retired coach" under similar (though not as tough circumstances) won the west that year.

....So please get a clue....if not buy, beg, borrow or steal one.
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LSUbacchus811 day
I bet you didn’t see 7-6 last year either
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theballguy1 day
If Lane can get Ole Miss to a deep run in the playoffs, he'll get LSU a natty eventually.
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TDsngumbo1 day
Don't you mean Playoff Pete? He got them to the playoffs according to Ole Miss fans.
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Pipes9870slu22 hours
And you care because
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Here's a lingering question for ESPN: Are they ever not clickbait?
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jkylejohnson22 hours
Suck my dick espn
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Koolazzkat10 hours
Only way LSU goes 7-6 this season is without Kiffin. Verge, make damn sure Lane is surrounded by secret service agents and wrapped in Kevlar on September 19.
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sharkfhin23 min
These people want 15-0 in yr 1 after 7-6. Wild shite. All of the media is waiting to crush Kif when he goes 8-4(9-4 with bowl win)
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hottub22 hours
LSU makes the playoffs this year and makes a deep run. Probably wins natty 2027 season.
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HuntinFishin2511 hours
Luv your optimism but not reality. If this were a five player sport maybe. This requires 35 players to be 'lock step' fine tuned engine with luck to be a serious contender. Not this year but 2027 will be the year! Book mark this reply and GEAUX TIGERS!!!
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chadr076 hours
I do think LSU at least makes the playoffs this year. This roster has too much talent and too good of a coaching staff not to at least get in. I’m not saying LSU wins it all but I think they can win a game or two in the playoffs. All I can say if LSU doesn’t make the playoffs this year, there will be some ruffled feathered donors already. 40+ million spent on a roster and don’t even make the playoffs? That’s Brian Kelly shite.
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mule741 day
“Can Lane Kiffin deliver the goods?”

How lazy can you be? You couldn’t take any deeper to come up with a more root question about what may affect LSU’s season? It’s like they tried to think of the most surface level thing they could say.
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