LSU Football: Home-and-home with Utah is just what SEC needs

A future home-and-home series for LSU football against Utah is exactly what the SEC needs to shake off non-conference criticism.

For years, the SEC has faced plenty of criticism for not scheduling home-and-homes with Power Five non-conference teams. Alabama has been part of plenty of season-opening kickoff events at neutral sites, as has LSU, Auburn and even Florida, but home-and-homes have been lacking.

The Tigers took a step in the right direction on Monday, scheduling a future home-and-home with one of the Pac-12’s top teams, the Utah Utes.

The Utes may be one of the fastest-rising programs in the Pac-12 and one that may be set up for future success thanks to Kyle Whittingham. He has stuck with the program and turned it into a perennial contender — even contending for a playoff spot this year. So for LSU to recognize this and schedule a future home-and-home is huge for them as well as the SEC.

Sure, everyone just assumes the SEC is the best conference, but now it gets to prove that with a matchup like this.

Of course we have no idea how good either of these teams will be in 2031-32 but these are two programs that should be set up for success for quite some time. Also, Ed Orgeron will be almost 70 and Kyle Whittingham will be 71. Neither coach will be at the helm when this matchup takes place, but that doesn’t take away from the importance of the battle.

The SEC needs to schedule more home-and-homes and less neutral site battles against top-tier Power Five teams in order to truly gain the respect it deserves. Good on you, LSU.