Brian Kelly knows the feeling of being on the outside looking in, and this past weekend hit him harder than he expected.
The former LSU coach, who led the Tigers from 2022 to 2025, spent the opening weekend of college football watching from home rather than standing on a sideline. That alone was enough to throw him off. On Sirius XM, Kelly admitted he struggled to settle in as LSU opened against Clemson in Week 1.
“I’ll be honest, I had a hard time watching it,” Kelly said on Thursday (h/t On3). “But I don’t think it was just LSU, it was just the first weekend truly of college football, and it was hard.
You’ve been doing it for 35 years, and not to be part of that process, my wife wanted to kill me. She was like, ‘What’s wrong with you?’
What was wrong was I wasn’t on the sidelines, and I had to deal with it and get through it.”
Kelly, 64, has lived in college football for decades. His coaching career goes back to 1983, when he began at DII Assumption as a defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. By the time he became nationally known at Notre Dame from 2010 to 2021, he had already spent years grinding through the college ranks.
Even now, he’s not far from the sport. Kelly is working as a college football analyst for CBS Sports, and he’s set to call Mountain West Conference games for CBS in 2026.
A year away from coaching may not last long if Kelly decides he wants back in. He owns a 200-76 record over 22 seasons as a head coach, a .725 winning percentage that would make him an appealing name for programs looking for experience.
For the moment, though, he’s watching instead of coaching - and at least LSU gave him something to like.
“There’s no mistaking it, LSU looked great,” Kelly said.
In Other News...
Clemson Suddenly Has A Defensive Line Problem It Cant Ignore
Clemsons front was put under a harsh spotlight in its loss to LSU, and afterward Dabo Swinney and defensive tackles coach Nick Eason both accepted responsibility for how the unit played. The Tigers are already dealing with a thin rotation up front, and the situation got worse when starter Markus Strong went down with a season-ending injury, forcing Clemson to lean even harder on the rest of the group as the season settles into a pivotal stretch.
One of the more notable fixes has been the increased use of former offensive lineman Dietrick Pennington, who has been getting more defensive snaps as Clemson searches for answers in the middle. Help could still be on the way, though, with Vic Burley eligible to return after his suspension and Kourtney Kelly working his way back from a knee injury, giving the Tigers at least a chance to restore some depth before the issue becomes even harder to manage. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons 2027 Opener Just Raised A Bigger ACC Schedule Issue
Clemsons 2027 opener is already doing something unusual before a snap is played. The Tigers will host Georgia State on Aug. 28, 2027, the earliest game in program history, after the matchup was shifted from later in the fall to fit the NCAAs new 14-week regular-season structure that begins next season. It is the kind of scheduling tweak that sounds minor on the surface but says plenty about how quickly the calendar is changing around college football.
For Clemson, the bigger issue may be what this kind of adjustment signals for the ACC schedule ahead. The leagues new model is still taking shape, and the Tigers are set to navigate a format that looks different from what fans have been used to seeing. The opener is now locked in, but the broader question is how this early start fits into a conference slate that could leave Clemson with more to manage than just a strange August date. [Read more 🡒]
Dillon Hunter Just Put Clemsons Backcourt Plans In Serious Doubt
Clemsons backcourt planning took a hit this week when a Georgia Court of Appeals stay paused the injunction that had been giving certain college basketball players five-for-five eligibility. Dillon Hunter and RJ Godfrey were among those covered by the ruling, and for the moment the move leaves their status unsettled as the NCAA continues its appeal of the case.
For Clemson, the timing matters because Hunter has been a steady part of the rotation and a key piece of the guard room. If the appeal is ultimately denied, players in this group could regain that fifth year of eligibility, but until then the Tigers have to prepare as if one of their more important backcourt options may not be available when the next season arrives. [Read more 🡒]