LSU football schedules home-and-home series with SMU

LSU announced a home-and-home series with LSU set to take place for the 2028 and 2029 seasons on Monday. The Tigers will host the Mustangs in Baton Rouge on Sept. 2, 2028, before making a trip to Dallas on Sept. 1, 2029.

SMU, now a member of the ACC, went 11-3 last year, reaching the College Football Playoffs where they dropped a 38-10 decision to Penn State in the opening round.

LSU ended last year 8-4 overall in the daunting SEC and has lost five straight season-openers dating back to 2020. Now. the Tigers have Clemson in 2025 and 2026, then SMU in 2028 and 2029, continuing to load up on challenging season openers.

Clearly, a ways to go before these two meet in Death Valley, but the incoming freshmen class could be still playing for the Tigers when these two meet. There will be plenty of changes across college football until then, but it’s still another game to look forward to in the future.

LSU preseason top five team in 2025

LSU fans won’t have to wait long for a major test this fall.

On3 national college football writer Ari Wasserman released his post-spring Top 25 this week, and he has Brian Kelly’s Tigers firmly in the national spotlight at No. 5. That sets the stage for one of the biggest season openers in the country: LSU will head to Death Valley—not Baton Rouge, but Clemson’s Memorial Stadium—to take on the No. 3 Clemson Tigers in a top-five showdown on Saturday, August 30.

We don’t need to remind Tiger fans, as this has been a hot topic of discussions, but LSU has not won a season opener since the 2019 championship season.

Wasserman didn’t hold back when evaluating LSU’s potential.

“Brian Kelly isn’t Mr. Popular, but he’s unequivocally been a successful college coach during his career,” Wasserman wrote. “Though things haven’t gone according to plan in his first three years at LSU, we’re at the point where it’s starting to feel like he needs to win big.”

The Tigers will have a shot to do exactly that this season, with quarterback Garrett Nussmeier leading the way. Nussmeier became the starter following Jayden Daniels’ departure to the NFL, and he impressed throughout 2024. Going into Year 2, many believe Nussmeier has all the necessary tools to have a major year in 2025, including early Heisman talk. Alongside a revamped roster that includes 18 transfer portal additions, LSU is aiming to fix its most glaring weakness: the defense.

“If LSU can fix its defense, it should be in the mix in the SEC,” Wasserman added.

Meanwhile, Clemson is being pegged as a College Football Playoff contender after winning the ACC last season. Quarterback Cade Klubnik returns with a talented receiving corps, and the Tigers boast what Wasserman called “the best defensive line in the country.”

“For some reason, Clemson has the eighth-best odds to win the national championship and is sitting at around 20-1 to win it all,” he wrote. “That’s value… Dabo Swinney won the ACC last year with a solid team. What will he do with a loaded one?”

The Week 1 matchup will provide immediate answers for both programs. For LSU, it’s a golden opportunity to make an early statement—and to show the Tigers under Kelly are ready to take the next step. Are you buying the LSU hype?

Wasserman’s Top 10 looks like: No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Clemson, No. 4 Ohio State, No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Georgia, No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 8 Alabama, No. 9 Oregon and No. 10. Illinois.