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As we approach the 2025 college football season, several teams are attracting significant attention.
Among them, the LSU Tigers stand out as a team many are optimistic about. According to ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI), the Tigers are ranked as the No. 12 team in college football heading into the season. Despite this ranking, they have some of the top odds to win the national championship.
A key reason for this optimism is the talent LSU is bringing back for the 2025 season. The team returns 62% of its total production , which ranks 38th in the nation. The most notable returning player is likely quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who had an impressive first year as the starter, throwing for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions last season.
However, during "The Paul Finebaum Show," SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum expressed concerns about head coach Brian Kelly. Finebaum suggested that if Kelly does not lead the team to a strong season this year, he may find himself without a job.
"Even though I think he's going to have one of the best seasons in recent years, Brian Kelly cannot afford a bad season either," Finebaum said.
If the Tigers decide to part ways with Kelly, it will come at a significant financial cost. His buyout this season is $51.7 million, which decreases each year: to $42.5 million in 2026, $33.1 million in 2027, $23.4 million in 2028 and finally $13.5 million in 2029.
Despite this, Kelly is regarded as one of the better coaches in college football. He has an overall record of 195-73, including a 29-11 record at LSU. However, his performance seems to be declining each year.
In his first season, the Tigers finished with a 10-4 record, won the SEC West division, and advanced to the SEC Championship Game. In his second year, they achieved a 10-3 record but did not win the SEC West. Last season, LSU finished with a 9-4 record and again failed to win the conference. Additionally, the Tigers have not made the College Football Playoff during his tenure.
Finebaum believes that LSU's five-year streak without making the playoffs will come to an end. He previously stated that he sees LSU as a potential playoff team, but noted that the competition in the SEC is intense. He ranked LSU among his top four teams, alongside Texas, Georgia and Alabama.
LSU is set to open the season with a crucial road game that could generate significant momentum when it faces the Clemson Tigers on Aug. 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
More must-reads:
- What five-star pledge means for South Carolina's 2026 class
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What a disappointing season for UNC, Bill Belichick would look like
There have been many interesting storylines throughout the college football offseason. Among the biggest storylines for the sport is the addition of six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick to the same position at the North Carolina Tar Heels. Belichick remains one of the best football coaches of all time, but the true merit of his success will be tested in his new collegiate run. There is a lot of hype for the Tar Heels considering Belichick’s additions and the incoming talent from the transfer portal. The ACC is set to be one of the least competitive power conferences in the sport, which is good news for the Tar Heels. Due to the poor state of the conference, there are even more expectations for the Tar Heels to not only compete for a conference title but also a spot in the College Football Playoff. Even if the Tar Heels aren’t real playoff contenders as the season continues, there are ways that the team could disappoint in Belichick’s first year. Losing more than one of their non-conference games The Tar Heels have two Power Five non-conference games and two from the group of five conferences. Out of the non-conference games, the Tar Heels showed themselves as underdogs in only one game. The Tar Heels should only see the week one home matchup against the TCU Horned Frogs as a real threat. North Carolina should be big favorites at Charlotte in week two, at home against the Richmond Spiders in week three, and at the UCF Golden Knights in week four. The Golden Knights are still a rebuilding team as they enter their third season of Big 12 play. Lose more than three ACC games There are several media outlets that believe the Tar Heels will lose four or more conference games this season. The good news for the Tar Heels is that they have an easy conference schedule. Only two teams the team is projected to face are supposed to finish with a better overall record, according to Athlon Sports. It’s going to be a task too steep for Belichick’s new squad to defeat a team that could win the national championship at the end of the season, in the No. 4 Clemson Tigers. The Tar Heels will likely lose to Clemson, but will try to rebound within the next few games. Their next biggest battle will be on the road against the Syracuse Orange in a prime-time slot on ESPN. Losing in primetime to a team they should finish the season better against wouldn’t be a good look for the team. Tar Heels have to win a majority of their rivalry games North Carolina will finish the regular season with rivalry games at Wake Forest, home against Duke, and at NC State. The Deacons are also still rebuilding, so this should be a development test for the Tar Heels in case they need to make some positional changes. After the Wake Forest game, Belichick’s top goal of the season is to defeat the Blue Devils. The Tar Heels won five consecutive games against the Blue Devils from 2019 to 2023 before losing last year’s game. That game was a major mark for previous head coach Mack Brown as the fan base turned on him. Belichick will need to defeat his new biggest rival, or it will be a huge mark on his first season at the collegiate level.
Green Bay Packers: Luke Musgrave’s Wife’s Stunned Reaction to Jordan Love’s Wife’s Personal Post
The Green Bay Packers are about to kick off their 2025 NFL regular season, so it feels like a good time for some of the players to look back at some of the key moments and experiences they’ve had in the offseason. For quarterback Jordan Love and tight end Luke Musgrave, the 2025 NFL offseason will always be one that they’ll cherish — and not just because of anything that’s football-related. Love and Musgrave both got married to their respective longtime girlfriends in the offseason. The signal-caller tied the knot with Ronika Stone in June, while Musgrave and Madi Weisner exchanged vows in July. Ronika Stone’s wedding lookback gets Green Bay tight end’s wife’s reactions Mrs. Love recently shared a post on Instagram that shows a series of snapshots from her wedding with the Packers’ signal caller. “Every detail was SPECTACULAR ,” Ronika wrote as a caption for the post. She clearly is still awed by how her wedding looked that day, with several beautiful flower arrangements adorning the special day. Ronika’s post drew plenty of comments, including one from Mrs. Musgrave, who wrote “UNREAL.” It’s great to see Packers players’ wives showing support for each other just as Love and Musgrave do on the field. For Musgrave, he is looking to have a big rebound in 2025 after only appearing in seven games and coming up with 45 receiving yards with zero touchdowns and only a couple of first downs on seven receptions and 10 targets. The Packers, who will play the Seattle Seahawks at home this Saturday for both teams’ 2025 NFL preseason finale, will face the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field in Week 1 of the 2025 regular season.
Dallas Stars lock up one of the league's best players with massive extension today in hockey history
GAG VS SAB! Who Will Break the Internet? Jandel? SpyderSammy? OR Mr. Beast!
It is a tale as old as time. Who will win? Will it be Godzilla or King Kong? Psych! These wars are no longer about size and strength, but millions of players trying to show support for their game… and in turn, they break the internet! GAG VS SAB – Numbers Don’t Lie Back in June, Grow A Garden (GAG) broke Fortnite’s previous record of concurrent players in a single game by over 6 MILLION! I mean… how hard can it be to get 21 million gamers to play at the same time and on a game that focuses on GARDENING! However, the numbers don’t; we all want to get that Candy Blossom and use our Grandmaster Sprinkler to watch it grow. Steal A Brainrot (SAB) has not even come close to GAG, and they want to challenge them? SAB is on par with Fortnite, with around a mere 15 million concurrent players in a single game. Why Do We Care? I mean, this is just a virtual battle, right? Wrong?! This is an opportunity to set records AND help others in the process. Jandel has said that he will donate $5,ooo to #TeamWater (Mr. Beast’s charity for clean water to those in need) for every one million players GAG gets more than SAB. Not only that, but @SpyderSammy will match Jandel’s donation no matter who wins! You could be a part of breaking over 21 million concurrent players in a single game, AND help people who do not have access to clean water, OR live in an area facing water scarcity. Where Does Your Loyalty Lie? How could a garden beat brainrot? Well, well, well… I am glad you asked. Join Roblox on August 23, 2025, at 10:00 AM EST to watch the epic battle between GAG and SAB, and welcome in a new era. Stand with your team to see who will win! Lastly, will Mr. Beast show up to Jandel’s challenge for #TeamWater? Will the Green Beans win, or will the Brainrot Gods stand on business? Who do you think will win? GAG or SAB?
Two NASCAR teams dealt serious penalties ahead of Daytona Cup Series race
A pair of NASCAR Cup Series teams will be at a major disadvantage when the green flag flies for Saturday's Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. An unapproved adjustment made by the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team led to William Byron's crew chief, Rudy Fugle, being ejected from the speedway. The No. 24 Chevrolet initially passed inspection before the adjustment was made. Byron will also have to drop to the rear of the field before the start of the race, and will also have to serve a stop-and-go penalty on pit road after taking the green flag. Byron's team also lost pit stall on selection for Saturday's race. The No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports team also incurred a penalty after inspection on Friday. B.J. McLeod's Chevrolet failed inspection twice, with car chief Lee Leslie also being ejected from the speedway. McLeod also lost pit stall selection, though he will not have to serve a stop-and-go penalty like Byron. Byron, the two-time defending Daytona 500 champion, will have a much tougher road to his fourth Daytona victory. He's looking for his first win in Daytona's summer race since 2020, when he earned his first career win in the 2020 Coke Zero Sugar 400. Ryan Blaney will start on the pole for Saturday's race, which serves as the Cup Series regular season finale.
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