Paul Finebaum didn’t waste any time going after Lane Kiffin after LSU’s latest stumble.
Following the Tigers’ 31-13 loss to Alabama on Saturday at Death Valley, Finebaum took aim at LSU’s first-year head coach during his Sunday appearance on The Matt Barrie Show, pinning the defeat and the shrinking College Football Playoff picture on Kiffin himself.
LSU is now 6-3 after suffering its third loss of the 2026 season, and the Tigers sit at 3-3 in SEC play. With that setback, the path to the Playoff has become a long shot, and Finebaum made clear where he thinks the blame belongs.
“I have said to you and others that I thought Kiffin would get it turned around at some point and win a national championship,” Finebaum said.
“But you have to wonder if Lane Kiffin isn’t just all sizzle and no substance. I mean, I didn’t see anything (Saturday night) that impressed me.
They had so many opportunities, and when it came down to a call from the sidelines, Kiffin whiffed. Kiffin choked.”
Kiffin now gets another marquee stage to try to change the conversation. Texas is set to visit Death Valley in Week 11 for a primetime matchup at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
It’s another spotlight game, and another chance for Kiffin to reshape the story of his first season in Baton Rouge. After the Alabama loss, though, that story is leaning the wrong way, and Finebaum figures to be watching closely again on Saturday night.
In Other News...
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For Mack, the timing matters. He has had limited playing time since arriving in Tuscaloosa, but this could be the kind of opportunity that changes the conversation around his future, especially with a possible transfer in the background. Vanderbilt may not be the biggest stage on Alabamas schedule, but it could be a valuable one for a quarterback still trying to show he can handle real game action. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Defensive Front Just Got A Boost Fans Have Been Waiting For
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Terrance Greens return from injury helped make that happen. He made his presence felt with a sack of his own and steady work against the run, giving Alabamas defensive front a more complete look and drawing praise from the coaching staff for the way he changed the lines energy. For a unit that has been searching for consistency up front, Greens impact may have been just as important as the numbers beside Thompkins name. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Just Forced A Playoff Ranking Debate Fans Will Obsess Over
Alabamas win over LSU has done more than pad the rsum in November. It has reopened the kind of playoff-rankings debate that gets college football fans arguing all week, with analysts split on where the Crimson Tide should land when the next set of rankings comes out. Some see the victory as the kind of statement that can push Alabama as high as No. 3 or No. 4, while others think the committee could still leave the Tide closer to the middle of the top 10.
The messier part is what it means for Tennessee, because the comparison between the two teams is now impossible to ignore. Head-to-head results and strength of schedule both have a way of complicating the conversation, and Alabamas latest win only sharpened the question of how much weight the committee will give each factor. However it shakes out, this is the sort of ranking fight that could linger well beyond Tuesday night. [Read more 🡒]