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Paul Finebaum Reveals Why LSU Is a Legit National Championship Contender

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Aug 12, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The 2025 college football season starts in just over 10 days, with Week 0 games kicking off on August 23.

One of the teams aiming to win the national championship and dethrone the Ohio State Buckeyes is the LSU Tigers. According to ESPN BET , the Tigers have the ninth-best odds to win the College Football Playoff, which positions them fourth in the SEC behind the Texas Longhorns, Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide.

On "The Paul Finebaum Show," the SEC Network analyst discussed why LSU is a favored candidate to win the national championship in 2025.

"It's really about the quarterback," Finebaum said. "They have recruited extremely well, but it's mostly about Garrett Nussmeier."

Paul Finebaum Believes Garrett Nussmeier Could Be LSU's Third Heisman Winner Since 2019

Finebaum has shown strong support for the Tigers and Nussmeier this offseason. He believes Nussmeier has the potential to join Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels as Heisman winners this upcoming season.

“I think Nussmeier is positioned for potentially a Heisman season,” Finebaum previously said. “I don’t think the first game will determine that. I think games later on, perhaps against Alabama, will. But I have no doubt based on several interactions with Brian Kelly that he is ready for the season of his career.”

Nussmeier had an impressive first season as the starting quarterback, throwing for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, which contributed to LSU's 9-4 record.

Paul Finebaum Thinks LSU Returns to the College Football Playoff For the First Time Since 2019

With Nussmeier as the starting quarterback and several returning players, Finebaum is optimistic that LSU can end its College Football Playoff drought this season. The Tigers last made the playoffs in 2019 when they won the national championship.

“I like LSU,” Finebaum previously said. “I haven’t wrapped my arms around how far they can go, but I have no doubt this is a playoff team.”

The Tigers are excited about the upcoming season as they return 62% of their overall production, placing them 38th in the nation. Along with quarterback Nussmeier, they are bringing back key players, including running back Caden Durham, who rushed for 753 yards and scored six touchdowns as a true freshman.

LSU has retained junior linebacker Whit Weeks, who led the team last year with 125 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss. The Tigers will also welcome back linebacker Harold Perkins, who missed most of the previous season due to injury. In his first two seasons, Perkins recorded 147 tackles, 26 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.

The Tigers will start their season with an away game against the Clemson Tigers at 7:30 p.m. ET on August 30.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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