College Football's 26 Most Important Games Of The 2026 Season

by Staff Reporter

March 3, 20260 Comments

Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Last week, Brad Crawford of CBS Sports picked the 26 most important College Football games that will help define the 2026 season.

Four of those games included LSU, with the Nov. 14 matchup vs. Texas at Tiger Stadium as the most important one for new head coach Lane Kiffin.

quote:
24. Clemson at LSU, Sept. 5
Will this mark a further indictment of Dabo Swinney's program, or can Clemson spoil Lane Kiffin's opener at Tiger Stadium? Takeaways after the first game of the season are often futile, but this one feels extremely important for the visiting team. Swinney has stuck to his guns with his recruiting philosophy and picked Chad Morris as his new play-caller to try to get back to explosive plays offensively. And considering the resources exhausted in the portal at LSU, Kiffin need not swing and miss here as a favorite.

16. Alabama at LSU, Nov. 7
A barometer matchup for both programs, this one's vital for Kalen DeBoer and his future with the Crimson Tide. Arch-rival LSU is one of those handful of annual games you're graded on in Tuscaloosa from a variety of angles. Going into Tiger Stadium and winning would buy DeBoer more time and put the Crimson Tide on the path to a second playoff appearance in his three seasons as coach.

11. LSU at Ole Miss, Sept. 19
This isn't your typical former coach vs. old program narrative. The bad blood is real, at least from the Ole Miss side, after Kiffin left the Rebels at the CFP alter last fall for an opportunity in Baton Rouge. His welcome back to Oxford will not be warm, and LSU's defense has Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy -- two transfers Kiffin landed at Ole Miss -- to deal with as the early pecking order within the SEC starts to sort itself out near the top.

7. Texas at LSU, Nov. 14
Turn your heads, Texas fans. Your team is going to face immense pressure several times next season on the road in the SEC. Unfortunately, all of last season's losses came away from Austin for the Longhorns, who struggled to generate firepower on offense in two of those contests. Should the road woes continue, especially during the final month of the 2026 season, Texas will fall short of expectations despite its star-studded roster.