The LSU Tigers begin the 2024 season ranked 13th in the AP Poll, meaning they are right on the cusps of the College Football Playoff to start the year. I'll be honest, I don't see this team being a top-5 or even top-7 team in the country, but I think they have a legitimate shot at making the playoff, especially if they can go undefeated out of conference.

With the playoff expanding to 12 teams this year, there are a whole lot of new opportunities for not only LSU to make the playoffs, but other teams as well. That could set up some very intriguing first-round matchups if the Tigers were to make the playoffs this year.

Today, we're going to look at five of the most intriguing potential first-round matchups for LSU.

This seems like a pretty obvious choice. Ever since Brian Kelly took the job at LSU, we've wanted to see the Tigers face off with Kelly's former team, Notre Dame. The Irish enter the season as the 7th ranked team in the country, and they have a fairly easy path to the CFP this year. Could we see these two squads meet in the first round of the playoffs (which would either be held in Baton Rouge or South Bend)? Hopefully.

I don't see either of these teams winning the SEC this year, so another very possible first-round matchup is LSU vs Alabama. These two teams will face off in the regular season, which could be the deciding factor on who would host this hypothetical game. Can Kalen DeBoer win a playoff game his first year in Tuscaloosa? Can Brian Kelly win the first playoff game of his career? I don't know, but it would be wildly entertaining.

LSU vs Florida State for the third season in a row? Sign me up.

After the events of the last two seasons, how sweet would it be for LSU to get revenge on the Seminoles in the playoffs? Tigers Stadium/Doak S. Campbell Stadium would be packed to the brim for what would be one of the most anticipated game in either stadium's history.

Could we get a preview to the 2025 season opener in this year's playoffs? There are a ton of doubts around Clemson's program right now, but the fact of the matter is, they have talent and a coach that's been to multiple playoffs and won national titles before. With 12 teams making it this year, they could very well be in the mix come the end of the year, and if we're lucky, we could see LSU and Clemson face off three times in as many seasons.

Michigan is a hard team to get a grasp on this year. They lost loads of talent and their head coach, but it's hard to say they don't have a shot at making the playoffs this year.

What better way to start the 12-team playoff era than to potentially take down the defending national champions in the first round? These two teams have also never played in their 100+ year histories, so why not start in 2024?

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