LSU football: which game will make or break the Tigers in 2023?

There’s no such thing as an easy schedule when you play in the SEC West. So, what did LSU football elect to do ahead of their 2023 college football season? Well, that would be to schedule a game against Florida State in week one, of course! With a schedule that now includes national powers such as Florida, Florida State, Texas A&M and others, no game poses a challenge for the Tigers quite like Alabama.

Several games have College Football Playoff implications for the LSU football 2023 season

One of the more underrated schedules of the 2023 college football season resides in Baton Rouge. When you play in the SEC West on a yearly basis, things are bound to be a bit more difficult.

For LSU football, this season is no exception. While there are no doubt some easier games on the lineup, it also features multiple top 10 matchups in addition to several other top 25 games.

The two headliners for the season will likely be week one versus Florida State and week 10 versus Alabama. These are likely the two matchups circled on the schedule for the Tigers. Both games are top-10 matchups and could have College Football Playoff implications by season’s end.

However, there are several other matchups to keep an eye on. After Florida State, the Tigers have just one off-week before they jump right into conference play versus Mississippi State.

After that, the Tigers have two non-top 10 matchups versus top 25 opponents. Those games fall in week five versus Ole Miss and week 13 versus Texas A&M.

Florida State should be an electric way to start the season

While there are, without a doubt, several games to look forward to throughout the 2023 college football season, it’s essential that the Tigers take things one week at a time.

On Sunday of week one, the Tigers are a part of the primetime game, taking on the Seminoles of Florida State. Notably, this is the only week one game with top 25 opponents facing each other.

are you an AP ranked team playing another AP ranked team in Week 1? pic.twitter.com/KNVMZskHOl

— Camping World Kickoff (@CWKickoff) August 20, 2023

As the season rapidly approaches, College Football Playoff predictions are also making their way into the media. Well, two of the top choices to make the playoff are Florida State and LSU.

It’s important to remember that the season is nowhere near over for the loser of the matchup. That’s why the regular season is 12 games long. If you take a wrong turn in week one, there’s still plenty of time to get back on track before it’s too late.

Regardless, both teams will be looking to get off to a hot start in 2023. Last year, the Seminoles beat the Tigers in dramatic fashion, winning 24-23, following a blocked extra point by LSU that likely would have sent the game into overtime.

Alabama is shaping up to be the big one

When thinking about games of the year in 2022, how could you not think about LSU beating Alabama in overtime? The game was back and forth throughout the first 60 minutes, so it’s only fitting that things ended with a field storming by the Tiger faithful.

Now, almost a year later, how are things looking for this year’s version of the matchup?

Right now, according to this year’s preseason AP poll, both are ranked as top five programs. Alabama is ranked just ahead of LSU (No. 5) at No. 4.

The official matchup doesn’t occur until week 10 of the college football season, but there’s little doubt that it’s already shaping up to be one of the top matchups of the college football season (again).

The LSU offense versus the Alabama defense is likely the positional matchup to watch. The Tigers bring back almost their entire offense, while the Crimson Tide has a defense is filled with former five-star recruits.

15 days until Alabama Football 🐘

You talk about someone playing with a battery in their back, Dallas Turner out here with a whole nuclear power plant pic.twitter.com/YNp7K0BwYE

— Nick Perkins (@NPerkins96) August 18, 2023

If coach Brian Kelly’s squad goes into Tuscaloosa and wins, it could be the first loss Nick Saban’s team had suffered at home since the LSU national championship run in 2019. The Tigers won that matchup 46-41, primarily led by quarterback Joe Burrow’s 393 yards and three touchdowns.

No matter the outcome, the winner will likely earn a trip to the SEC Championship and a possible College Football Playoff berth. Ultimately, this could be the game that makes or breaks the LSU football season.

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