Getty

Lane Kiffin speaks at a press conference as he is introduced as the new head football coach of the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium on December 01, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)

Heading into the 2026 college football season, a lot of eyes will be watching the LSU Tigers and new head coach Lane Kiffin.

At the end of last season, Kiffin and LSU were one of the most talked about storylines in the nation. Just ahead of the College Football Playoff, Kiffin chose to leave Ole Miss to accept the Tigers’ head coaching job.

Kiffin is fresh off of completely rebuilding the Ole Miss football program. Over the last six years with the team, he compiled an impressive 55-19 record. Now, he will look to do the same thing with LSU, who has struggled in recent years under Brian Kelly.

During the offseason, Kiffin made a plethora of moves to improve the roster. On the outside looking in, the Tigers do look the part of a potential playoff contender.

Keeping that in mind, a new prediction has been made for where LSU will land this year.

CBS Sports Makes Interesting CFP Prediction for LSU, Lane Kiffin

CBS Sports analyst Brad Crawford has released his post-spring college football bowl and CPF projections.

When it comes to the Tigers and Kiffin, he has predicted that they will make the College Football Playoff. He has LSU ending up as the No. 9 seed in the CFP picture. In that scenario, he sees a matchup against the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes.

Making it to the playoff would be a big win for Kiffin and the Tigers. Last season, they were only able to scrape together a 7-6 record. Getting back on the map as a championship contender would be a successful year.

Kiffin has a long track record of success. If he can bring that to Baton Rouge right off the bat, his coaching legacy will take a major step forward.

Much of LSU’s Playoff Hopes Rest on Sam Leavitt

One of the first priorities for Kiffin after landing the head coaching job at LSU was to find a new starting quarterback.

With Garrett Nussmeier taking his talents to the NFL, the head coach had to move quickly. He was able to land his new quarterback in the form of former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt.

Last season with the Sun Devils, Leavitt completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 1,628 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions, while also running for 306 yards and five scores. Back in 2024, he threw for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions and also chipped in 443 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Leavitt is more than capable of being a top-tier starting college quarterback. If he can put together the kind of season the Tigers are expecting from him, the NFL will be within his grasp.

Hopefully, he’s ready to rise to the occasion. Being the leader of a top-tier SEC program is much different than playing at Arizona State, but he has the talent to find success.