Why LSU football will be the main character of the 2026 season

If it wasn't obvious already, it should be clear now. LSU football will be the main character of the 2026 college football season. LSU head coach Lane Kiffin was the center of social media discussion again this week after Vanity Fair published its Kiffin profile.

For better or worse, Kiffin can't avoid the headlines. From Kiffin's messy exit at Tennessee to his time at USC, to being Nick Saban's offensive coordinator at Alabama and Ole Miss's head coach, Kiffin has always found a way to make news. Kiffin is a polarizing figure in the sport. If he's the coach of your team, you love him. If he's not, you're annoyed by him. And if he used to coach your team, you really don't like him.

All eyes are on Kiffin and LSU heading into the 2026 season. The way Kiffin left Ole Miss was his messiest exit yet. Kiffin wanted the LSU job, but he also wanted to coach Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff. He chose the LSU job, leaving a sour taste in Oxford.

Kiffin's LSU tenure has become a spectacle. College Gameday has already announced that the show will be in attendance for LSU's Week 1 game vs. Clemson. And while it's not official yet, the expectation is that Gameday will be in Oxford, MS for LSU vs. Ole Miss in Week 3.

The Tigers vs. Rebels is one of the biggest games on the calendar this year. It will pit Kiffin vs. his former team in the immediate aftermath of Kiffin's Ole Miss exit. The Ole Miss crowd will greet Kiffin and LSU with hostility. The entire college football world will be watching.