ESPN Writers Name College Football Games They Are Most Excited To See In 2026

by Staff Reporter

February 13, 20264 Comments

Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

In a recent ESPN article, a collection of writers all picked the 2026 College Football games they are most excited to see. Three of them picked games that feature LSU:

quote:
David Hale: Clemson at LSU in Week 1. This game has the feeling of two ships passing in opposite directions. On one side, there's LSU, awash in hope after snagging Lane Kiffin to helm the program. The Bayou Bengals have loaded up on talent in both the portal and the recruiting trail, and Kiffin has injected an air of optimism that exceeds even what came with Brian Kelly's arrival four years ago. For Clemson, the opposite is true. Dabo Swinney is coming off his worst season since 2010, with a question mark at QB and a host of NFL talent now off to the NFL. A year ago, this game was marked as a top-five matchup with the winner a likely title contender. LSU didn't live up to that hype, and it cost Kelly his job. Clemson lost last year, and the wheels came off after that. A win in this game could turn the wariness of Clemson fans on its head and make 2026 the year Swinney revived the program -- or it could be the year it all came to a crashing halt.

Andrea Adelson: LSU at Ole Miss, Sept. 19. The Lane Kiffin grudge match -- in his return to Oxford -- should be No. 1 on every viewing. How will the crowd greet him? How will his former players greet him? Will there be any pregame antics? How will his old team stack up against his new team? Will bygones be bygones? Somehow I doubt it. This game also should have plenty of SEC and CFP implications after both teams loaded up through the transfer portal.

Heather Dinich: I'm with Andrea on LSU-Ole Miss. There's no shortage of drama in this one, and in addition to the Kiffin theatrics, let's not forget he was hired to win a national title -- yesterday. LSU will have already faced Clemson, which is also in must-win mode. This will be Kiffin's first road trip as LSU's head coach -- and it couldn't be in a more hostile environment. If LSU loses its opener against Clemson, the biggest game of the year might be in Oxford.

Which LSU game are you most excited for next season?

Filed Under: LSU Football