Ranking OU's 2025 opponents: LSU

Editor's note: This is a series previewing each of the Sooners’ opponents in 2025. OUInsider will rank all 12 games by their significance, difficulty, and entertainment value on a 1-10 scale, publishing each installment based on which team is next in the rankings. This installment focuses on LSU, the team ranked 5th in this series.

The Southeastern Conference appears to really like Oklahoma and LSU facing each other in the final week of the regular season.

That's the way schedule worked out last season, the Sooners' first in the conference. The Sooners traveled to Baton Rouge and lost, 37-17, dropping them to 6-6 on the season.

This year, the two teams we'll meet once again in late November. But this time, it'll be in Norman. The Sooners will welcome LSU to Owen Field for the first time in program history.

These two teams have played just four times, but there's no shortage of history. LSU narrowly beat Jason White and the Sooners in the 2003 national title game, then the Tigers stomped them in the 2019 CFP en route to a championship. But this will be the first time the Sooners will face the Tigers away from Baton Rouge or a neutral site.

The Tigers were decent last season, hanging around the fringes of the College Football Playoff discussion. Expectations are a bit higher this season, as the Tigers are expected to contend for an SEC title and more.

Oh, and to add even more entertainment value, the Tigers added a pair of former Sooners this offseason: Nic Anderson and Bauer Sharp.

Here's an overview of what the Sooners can expect from LSU this fall:

When: Nov. 29, 2:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. CT

Where: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

TV: TBD

Difficulty: 8.5/10

Entertainment Value: 8/10

Significance: 9/10

Total score: 25.5/30

2024 BASIC STATS

Scoring offense: 30.5 points per game (47th nationally)

Scoring defense: 24.3 points per game (59th nationally)

Total offense: 431.5 yards per game (25th)

Total defense: 364.4 yards per game (61st)

KEY DEPARTURES

WR Kyren Lacy (58 receptions, 866 yards, 9 TD)

WR Mason Taylor (55 receptions, 546 yards, 2 TD)

DE Bradyn Swinson (58 tackles, 13 TFL, 8.5 sacks)

KEY RETURNERS

QB Garrett Nussmeier (4,052 yards, 29 TD, 12 INT, 64.2% completion)

RB Caden Durham (140 carries, 753 yards, 6 TD)

WR Aaron Anderson (61 receptions, 884 yards, 5 TD)

LB Whit Weeks (125 tackles, 10 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 1 INT)

KEY ADDITIONS

TE Bauer Sharp (Oklahoma)

WR Nic Anderson (Oklahoma)

WR Destyn Hill (Texas A&M)

WR Barion Brown (Kentucky)

CB Ja'Keem Jackson (Florida)

1. Will this LSU offense be one of the best in football?

The ingredients are there for the Tigers to be dominant offensively.

The offense was good — but slightly disappointing — last season. They wilted a bit down the stretch, failing to score more than 24 points in four of their last five regular season games. That included a disappointing 13-point outing against Alabama and a 16-point outing against Florida. But the potential was certainly there, considering Nussmeier threw for over 4,000 yards and the Tigers finished 25th in total offense.

But the Tigers will have a good amount of continuity in 2025. They return 65% of their production from a season ago, per ESPN. They return Nussmeier, who is a year older in the system and is getting early Heisman buzz. The Tigers also return their starting running back (Durham) and their leading receiver (Anderson) from a season ago. They also were extremely active in the portal, adding a trio of Power 4 receivers who were all four-star prospects in high school.

Plus, while Sharp likely won't be remembered fondly for his one season in Norman, there is certainly a chance he could be productive in Baton Rouge. Despite some less-than-stellar highlights — including his interception at LSU — he led the Sooners in receptions (42) and yards (324).

(As a side note, Nic Anderson and Sharp will certainly be motivated to show out in Norman. OU fans will likely be just as motivated to express their displeasure).

The Tigers have to go out and prove it. But this could be a high-powered offense.

2. Expectations high for Brian Kelly and company

There's no way to argue that the Kelly era has been necessarily disappointing. He's 29-11 in his three seasons in Baton Rouge, including back-to-back 10-win seasons.

But there's one thing missing from the resume, and that's a berth in the CFP. Despite nine wins last season, there were some disappointing moments. The Tigers were blown out by Alabama. The two losses that hurt them the most were Texas A&M and Florida, and they blew a fourth-quarter lead late against the Aggies.

In short, the last three years have been both successful and disappointing. But this year, the Tigers should be in the mix for the CFP.

It's not going to be easy. They open the season against Clemson, and their road games include Ole Miss, Alabama and Oklahoma. But LSU is going to be mentioned as an SEC contender, and anything short of nine wins would be disappointing.

Does that mean Kelly is on the hot seat if they fail to meet expectations? Probably not. But it would be a situation worth monitoring.

In a season full of tests, one of the biggest ones for the Sooners come in late November. The Owen Field crowd will surely be amped to welcome an LSU team to town for the first time. Imagine if both teams enter the weekend on the cusp of CFP talks, and need a win to solidify their spot.

The Sooners' road schedule is so brutal that it'll put more emphasis on taking care of home field. Doing that against LSU won't be easy.

12. Kent State

11. Illinois State

10. Temple

9. Missouri

8. Ole Miss

7. South Carolina

6. Tennessee

5. LSU

4-1. ???

Not an OUInsider.com premium member? Sign up today to get loads of inside information on Oklahoma football, softball, basketball, and recruiting, all for just a few dollars a month. Click HERE to get started!

Follow us on Twitter @OUInsider and on Instagram @ouinsiderofficial!

Subscribe on YouTube by clicking here for daily video content on all things Oklahoma!