LSU visits Auburn with both teams' playoff hopes at stake
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
LSU (5-2, 2-2 SEC) plays at Auburn (4-2, 2-2 SEC) on Saturday, with LSU a 7.5-point favorite.
A third SEC loss could knock either team out of the playoff hunt.
Background
LSU and Auburn are Southeastern Conference (SEC) football programs meeting for the first time since 2023. LSU is coached by Lane Kiffin in his first season, Auburn by Alex Golesh, also in his first year. Both enter at 2-2 in SEC play, and a third conference loss could end their College Football Playoff hopes. LSU has lost both of its road games this season, at Ole Miss and Kentucky, while Auburn is coming off a 27-24 road win over No. 1 Georgia.
How it unfolded
- Sep 19, 2026LSU lost at Ole Miss 24-32; Auburn lost at home to Florida 39-44.
- Oct 3, 2026LSU beat McNeese 63-14; Auburn lost at Tennessee 14-24.
- Oct 10, 2026LSU lost at Kentucky 34-35, leaving it winless on the road this season.
- Oct 17, 2026Auburn beat No. 1 Georgia 27-24 in Athens, snapping Georgia's 53-game win streak against unranked opponents; LSU beat Mississippi State 31-0.
- Oct 20, 2026BetMGM lists LSU as a 7.5-point favorite, LSU -300 on the moneyline, Auburn +240, with an over/under of 50.5.
- Oct 23, 2026Auburn issues a gameday advisory for the 11 a.m. CT kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium, an 'All Auburn, All Orange' game; outlets publish score picks split between the teams.
- Oct 24, 2026LSU (5-2, 2-2 SEC) at Auburn (4-2, 2-2 SEC), Jordan-Hare Stadium, 11 a.m. CT on ABC.
Who’s saying what
- Bulls
- Dimers.com gives LSU a 72.5% win probability and ESPN 71.3%, and Bill Bender of The Sporting News picks LSU 27-17.
- Support
- Auburn Wire's Taylor Jones picks a 20-20 result, saying Auburn proved at Georgia that stats don't matter and the more physical team will likely win.
- Analysts
- A to Z Sports' Tyler Forness picks Auburn 31-27 on its momentum under Alex Golesh, while colleague Craig Smith picks LSU 30-24.
- Caution
- Lafayette Daily Advertiser's Cory Diaz picks LSU 20-15 but expects an 'ugly, sloppy, sleepy game.'
- Expert
- LSU coach Lane Kiffin calls Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown 'really hard to tackle' and says LSU will 'have our hands full.'
Still unverified
Former Alabama and LSU coach Nick Saban has said he believes Auburn's football stadium is haunted, a claim cited by the Lafayette Daily Advertiser.