1958
Dietzel’s title
Paul Dietzel's 11-0 team brought LSU the 1958 national title
Program prestige
Zeitgeist statureBlue BloodLSU-Alabama
89 meetings since 1902 See the whole history →No fan reading for this rivalry yet this week. The heat trend and each side’s mood appear when fans start talking about it.
The last 5 · year-by-year
- L 2025 Loss 9-20
- L 2024 Loss 13-42
- L 2023 Loss 28-42
- W 2022 Win 32-31
- L 2021 Loss 14-20
Program outlook
Program outlook
LSU ate a $54 million buyout to fire Brian Kelly the day after a 49-25 loss to Texas A&M and replace him with Lane Kiffin. Three national titles since 2003, a talent pipeline that never empties, and a program that keeps proving it can build the perfect team — then can't figure out what to do with the morning after.
Since Oct 13: W 31-0 vs Mississippi State; W 38-17 at Auburn. 6-2 this season.
Read the full essay — 4 more paragraphs
Tiger Stadium after dark is the loudest night in college football. That has been true for decades and will be true regardless of who is on the sideline — 100,000 people in Baton Rouge, the state's bottomless talent pipeline on the field, and an opponent whose game plan usually doesn't survive the first quarter. LSU is where Louisiana football goes to become college football: Billy Cannon's Halloween punt return in 1959, Joe Burrow's perfect 2019 season, 15-0 and a title behind an offense that didn't have a peer in the sport that year. The program has three national championships since 2003. The problem is what always follows.
Ed Orgeron won it all in 2019 and was out two years later. Brian Kelly arrived in 2021, went 27-11, and was fired at midseason in October 2025 — the day after a home loss to Texas A&M that felt like it answered a question the fanbase had been asking since the hire. LSU paid $54 million to get out of that contract and immediately hired Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss, where Kiffin had gone 55-19 and led the Rebels to their first CFP berth. The rebuild through the portal centered on Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt at quarterback. The bet is the boldest the program has made: that a coach who has been waiting his whole career for a stage this big finally ends a cycle the fanbase can trace back further than it wants to.
The 2026 season is less a question about whether LSU will be good — it will be — than a question about whether Kiffin is the variable that changes the pattern. The Kiffin formula at Ole Miss was prolific offense, elite portal work, and an atmosphere that attracted transfers who wanted to play meaningful football. Death Valley at night already provides the atmosphere. The question is whether the formula that produced 55 wins at Ole Miss replicates in Baton Rouge, and whether LSU fans wake up the morning after a 2026 title game without having to fire anyone.
Through six games, LSU is 4-2. After the 32-24 loss at Ole Miss on September 19 — three-point favorites against the program Kiffin left to take this job — came a 35-6 win over Texas A&M and a 63-14 win over McNeese. Then, on October 10, LSU lost 35-34 at Kentucky as a 9.5-point favorite, its second defeat of the season as the betting favorite. The question the season opened with is still unresolved.
On the field
NFL-pipeline, night-game football — LSU's identity runs through the Louisiana talent base and the psychological advantage of Tiger Stadium under the lights, where opposing offenses have historically unraveled. Kiffin layers a pass-heavy RPO spread over that foundation, with quick-release concepts and space creation for playmakers. The portal strategy is aggressive: proven contributors over developmental upside. The defensive architecture inherits SEC physicality and a deep room built for the league's tempo.
LSU has won 4 national titles since 1936
1958, 2003, 2007, 2019
How titles are counted
The final AP poll from 1936 and the Coaches poll from 1950 through 2005, then the winner of the BCS and College Football Playoff title games. A program may claim others, named by selectors we do not count.
- 1958: AP poll and Coaches poll
- 2003: Coaches poll
- 2007: BCS title game
- 2019: playoff title game
LSU has won 63% of its games since 1902 — 73% at home, 49% on the road.
836-436-47 all-time · 123 seasons · 1902–2026
Home
561-183-24
Away
236-223-22
Neutral
39-30-1
67%
1900s
58%
1910s
54%
1920s
67%
1930s
59%
1940s
52%
1950s
71%
1960s
63%
1970s
60%
1980s
48%
1990s
76%
2000s
79%
2010s
63%
2020s
The CFP era
13 seasons inside the CFP era, no bids yet — the era the program is still trying to break into.
Trajectory · quality-score line · AP rank dotted · CFP bids marked · coach regimes ribboned
Program quality
AP rank (inverted)
CFP appearance
Swipe left for earlier seasons
LSU’s 2014–2026 record is 112-50.
Lane Kiffin
Lane Kiffin took over from Frank Wilson (interim) for the 2026 season.
Era Lane Kiffin · 2026–presentPrev: Frank Wilson (interim) (2025)OC: Charlie Weis Jr. / Joe Cox (co)Prev OC: Joe Sloan / Cortez Hankton (co) (2024–2025)DC: Blake Baker / Chris Kiffin (co)Prev DC: Blake Baker (2024–2025)
1
year · era
LSU and Alabama, meeting by meeting
Alabama leads the series 58-26-5 (since 1902); in the last 10 meetings, LSU is 2-8
2025: Alabama won 20-9. After this game, Alabama led 58-26-5.
Last 25 meetings: ▲ LSU won, ▼ Alabama won, by how much
Each step is one meeting: up when LSU wins, down when Alabama wins, flat for a tie. Counts every game in our records since 1902. Tap the line for any season.
LSU in History
- LSU beats Alabama in overtime after its first-year coach goes for twoGame · Nov 5, 2022
- Brian Kelly leaves Notre Dame for LSUCoach change · Nov 30, 2021
- LSU beats Clemson for the national title, and its coach says the team is so grateful for Joe BurrowGame · Jan 13, 2020
- LSU names Ed Orgeron its head coach, and he says he will build a championship program fastCoach change · Nov 26, 2016
Moments in LSU history
- Ole Miss 24, LSU 19Sep 27, 2025
- LSU 37, Florida 34Dec 12, 2020
- LSU 46, Alabama 41Nov 9, 2019
On this date, Nov 4, 2017: Alabama 24, LSU 10
What this program never forgets
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
The 2003 title
13-1 under Nick Saban — a national title shared with USC
The 2007 title (Les Miles)
A two-loss national championship and the Mad Hatter's gambles
The 2019 perfect season
15-0 and a national title behind Joe Burrow's record-shattering offense
Moment of the year · 2026
Won 35-6 vs Texas A&M
Week 4 of 2026. A statement margin. Recruiting boards re-rendered overnight.
2022–2026
LSU has sent 36 players to the NFL Draft since 2022 — 6 of them in the first round.
Elite. Top recruit destination + development pipeline.
36
picks · 6 in round 1
#2
Jayden Daniels
Quarterback · 2024 · 
Washington Commanders · #1/140 final season
Washington Commanders · #1/140 final season
#3
Derek Stingley Jr.
Cornerback · 2022 · 
Houston Texans
Houston Texans
#4
Will Campbell
Offensive Tackle · 2025 · 
New England Patriots
New England Patriots
#8 all-time · 52 first-round picksthe talent factory →
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Program facts
Program résumé
1CFP apps
Ladder finish
Season standing · 2026 · 6-2 · CFP #14 / AP #15
Season standing · 2026 · 6-2 · CFP #14 / AP #15LSU is 14th in the CFP poll at 6-2 — a top-15 team.
Top 15 nationally. NY6-bowl conversation.
Top 15
Sub-FBSBuildingBowlRankedContenderPlayoff
Conference
SEC standing · 2026
5th in the SEC
LSU sits 5th of 16 in the SEC at 3-2. Mid-conference — moves up or down depend on rivalry results and the late-season closing run.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | 5-1 |
| 2 | Kentucky | 5-1 |
| 3 | Alabama | 4-2 |
| 4 | Ole Miss | 4-2 |
| 5 | LSU | 3-2 |
| 6 | Missouri | 3-2 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 3-2 |
| 8 | Texas | 3-2 |
| 9 | Florida | 3-3 |
| 10 | South Carolina | 3-3 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | 2-3 |
| 12 | Auburn | 2-4 |
| 13 | Mississippi State | 2-4 |
| 14 | Arkansas | 1-4 |
| 15 | Texas A&M | 1-4 |
| 16 | Vanderbilt | 0-5 |
Coaching history
Coaching history
- Hired Lane Kiffin
- Hired Frank Wilson (interim)
- Brian Kelly departs
- Frank Wilson departs (interim)
- Hired Brian Kelly
- Hired Brad Davis
- Ed Orgeron departs
- Brad Davis departs
Coordinator lineage
LSU’s offense and defense, by coordinator
FBS-relative efficiency percentile per season (2014–2026), same population as the Coordinator Mirror board. Dashed vertical lines mark a coordinator change.
Offense2014–2026
2014–2016 · Cam Cameron2017 · Matt Canada2018–2020 · Steve Ensminger2021 · Jake Peetz2022–2023 · Mike Denbrock2024–2025 · Joe Sloan / Cortez Hankton (co)2026 · Charlie Weis Jr. / Joe Cox (co)
Defense2014–2026
2014 · John Chavis2015 · Kevin Steele2016–2019 · Dave Aranda2020 · Bo Pelini2021 · Daronte Jones2022–2023 · Matt House2024–2025 · Blake Baker2026 · Blake Baker / Chris Kiffin (co)
Elite (≥70th pct)AveragePoor (≤30th pct)
Gameday customs
Rituals
Things this fanbase does every Saturday — none of them invented in the last decade.
Death Valley at Night
since 1959
more
Tiger Stadium under the lights — 102,000 fans on a hot night in Baton Rouge. The 'Saturday Night in Death Valley' brand is the program's most-named ritual. Even visitors call it that. The 1959 Billy Cannon Halloween night punt return is the foundational artifact.
Mike the Tiger Walk
since 1936
more
The live tiger (current is Mike VII) is on display at his enclosure adjacent to the stadium. Players touch the cage as they walk past en route to the locker room. PETA hates the practice. LSU doesn't care. The tiger gets a 15,000 square-foot habitat and a vet team; the ritual carries the football identity.
Pre-Game Band on the Field
since 1893
more
The Golden Band from Tigerland forms in the southwest corner and marches the length of the field to the strains of 'Pregame.' The chord change at midfield is the signal: the stadium loses 8 dB in 4 seconds. Recorded as one of the loudest moments measured in college football.
Cultural identity
2025 L
2023 W
2022 W
2021 LReddit blowups
r/CFB moments
3.6k
[Postgame Thread] USC Defeats LSU 27-20
All-time top community posts
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