College Football Media Convinced Everyone's 'Sleeping' On LSU

When LSU spent all of that money to get rid of Brian Kelly and bring in Lane Kiffin, they did so with the expectation that Kiffin would promptly lead them to at least the College Football Playoff if not a serious national title run. But amid a 6-2 start that has them on the fringes of CFP eligibility, fans are wondering if Kiffin played the Tigers like a fiddle.

College football media members, on the other hand, believe that LSU might be a sleeping giant.

Austin Mock of The Athletic shared some data that indicates LSU has been performing near the very top of his opponent-adjusted EPA per play. The data shows that LSU is over-performing on both offense and defense.

Mock then asked “Are we sleeping on LSU?”

College Power-4 opponent-adjusted EPA:
• Despite the weak schedule, Notre Dame has performed well
• Are we sleeping on LSU?
• Arizona is a team that no one is talking about
Which team surprises you here? pic.twitter.com/HSTMblT6Jw

— Austin Mock (@amock419) October 27, 2026

Ralph D. Russo of The Athletic then reposted the data and answered, “We are sleeping on LSU.”

We are sleeping on LSU. https://t.co/zwtUHbv8ar

— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoATH) October 27, 2026

Russo explained that the early schedule caused LSU to “fall of the radar” with losses to their two toughest opponents, but that they

“The schedule broke in a way that made LSU fall of the radar,” Russo explained in a follow-up message. “I get that the Tigers lost to the two best teams they faced and if they keep doing that they’ll be the best four-loss team in the country. But they’re playing really well on both sides.”

LSU in 2026

The Lane Kiffin-era began in dominant fashion as they wiped the floor with Clemson in a 51-10 rout and followed that up by an easy win over Louisiana Tech. But their first road game of the season was a stunning 32-24 loss to No. 8 Ole Miss, Kiffin’s former team.

The Tigers recovered with back-to-back wins over No. 23 Texas A&M and McNeese only to lose in overtime to Kentucky on October 10 and fall to 4-2 on the season.

But they again recovered from that loss with back-to-back wins, taking down No. 16 Mississippi State and Auburn to reach 6-2 on the season heading into their bye week.

When they return from that bye week though, they’ll have arguably the toughest three-week stretch in the country waiting for them. The Tigers play No. 10 Alabama and No. 11 Texas at home in back-to-back weeks then go on the road to take on No. 16 Tennessee.

Their final game of the season will be on the road against hapless Arkansas.

Can Kiffin and the Tigers prove the media members correct and wake up to win these remaining games?

This story was originally published by The Spun on Oct 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.