Cole Cubelic says LSU has the toughest stretch in the SEC in 2026
By David Wasson
Published:
The LSU Tigers were dealt a challenging 4-game stretch to end the 2026 football season, as coach Lane Kiffin and his team play host to conference powers Alabama and Texas before hitting the road to finish with Tennessee and Arkansas.
LSU’s full 2026 schedule was revealed on Thursday night. SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic said shortly after that the closing stretch is the toughest for any team in the conference next season.
“We know what that (Alabama) game means. That’s one where the physicality is always extra,” Cubelic said during the conference’s schedule reveal show. “That game is usually a bloodbath. So what do you get to do the next week? Turn around and play Texas.
“Then you get to go to Tennessee, one of the most difficult places to play on Earth. Then you go to Arkansas. So, your final 2 games (are) on the road after you play Alabama and Texas. That is a behemoth of a stretch to close the season.
Kiffin takes over the Tigers after Brian Kelly was fired midway through his fourth season in Baton Rouge. Kiffin’s departure from the Ole Miss program was controversial, as both LSU and Florida pursued him while the Rebels were recording their first-ever 11-win season and earning a College Football Playoff berth.
LSU finished the 2025 season 7-5 and will play No. 21 Houston (9-3) in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 (9:15 pm ET, ESPN).
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
