Lane Kiffin made sure his gameday routine stayed intact in Lexington.
The LSU coach got his hot yoga session in this morning before tonight’s primetime matchup with Kentucky, returning to Sterling Hot Yoga after using the studio for an early morning Hot Pilates class ahead of Ole Miss’ game against the Wildcats last year. That trip worked out for Kiffin and the Rebels, who left with a 30-23 win. This time, Sterling Hot Yoga welcomed him back with a little more rivalry flavor.
Krista Spadaccini, a morning anchor for FOX56 and an instructor at Sterling, posted a group photo with Kiffin on Instagram. She said the workout was no soft landing for the LSU coach, and the staff leaned into the moment by wearing “Geaux Cats” and “LSWho?”
shirts. Kiffin, for his part, kept his shirt on this time.
Tonight will mark Kiffin’s sixth game coaching against Kentucky, and he’ll be doing it with his third different school. His first meeting with the Wildcats came in 2009, when his lone Tennessee team erased a 21-14 halftime deficit and beat Kentucky 30-24 in overtime. He then faced Kentucky four times at Ole Miss.
That stretch included Kiffin’s most recent win over the Cats, as well as his lone loss to Kentucky in 2024. In that game, Mark Stoops made a bold call to go for it on 4th-and-7 from UK’s own 20-yard line, and it paid off with the setup for the game-winning touchdown.
No. 6 Ole Miss’ College Football Playoff hopes disappeared there, and Kentucky finished with just four wins that season.
Kiffin has spent the week praising Kentucky coach Will Stein, and he said he sees a bit of himself in Stein - especially after Stein said Kentucky would win big “because of me.”
“I did [chuckle] because I felt like that would - I mean, I never have said that, but I feel like that might have been something I would have said when I first got a head [coaching] job.”
Stein, though, is not a hot yoga convert. He told the “Pardon My Take” crew on KSR earlier this summer that he tried it with his wife while they lived in Austin, Texas, and the experience was rough.
“I felt like I was literally just going to pass out every single time I even started it, and then there were people to my left and the right doing like headstands and some crazy stuff, like, how was this possible?”
If Kentucky can knock off LSU tonight, Spadaccini and the Sterling Hot Yoga crew will have earned plenty of credit.
In Other News...
Kentucky Is Getting Doubted Again Before A Massive SEC Test
The build-up to Kentuckys SEC showdown with LSU has already turned into a familiar exercise in skepticism, at least if you listened to the College GameDay panel. Kentucky enters the matchup as an 8.5-point underdog, and the discussion around it reflected the split that tends to follow the Wildcats when the stage gets bigger. Kirk Herbstreit and Nick Saban offered cautious optimism about Kentuckys chances, while other voices on the panel stayed far more guarded about what the Wildcats might be able to do.
For Kentucky, that mix of respect and doubt is hardly new, but it does add a little more edge to a game that already matters plenty in the SEC picture. The conversation around the matchup also showed how differently the Wildcats are being viewed from network to network, which only makes the spot on the schedule feel heavier. The real test now is whether Kentucky can turn those mixed opinions into something more convincing once the game is played. [Read more 🡒]
Roman Harper Turns Kentucky's Latest Snub Into A Huge Statement Game
Roman Harper spent part of the pregame buildup making the case that Kentucky deserved more respect after its strong start under Will Stein, and it was a pointed reminder of how quickly perception can lag behind results in the SEC. The former Alabama safety, now an SEC Nation analyst, pointed to the Wildcats recent wins and the way they still found themselves slipping out of the AP Top 25, a move that added a little extra edge to a matchup already carrying plenty of weight.
Now Kentucky gets a primetime stage against LSU with a chance to turn that frustration into something tangible, and the conversation around the Wildcats has only grown louder because of it. The betting market has its own opinions about where Kentucky stands in this one, but Harpers message was aimed more at the bigger picture, the idea that this is the kind of game where a team can change how its viewed with one strong performance. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Popes Final Kentucky Staff Move Could Matter On The Trail
Kentucky has filled its final assistant coach opening by hiring Alfred Aboya, giving Mark Pope another experienced voice on the bench as the program keeps sorting through an offseason of roster and staff construction. Aboya arrives with coaching background that includes work with NBA Academy Africa, and his resume points to a skill set that goes beyond the usual day-to-day duties of an assistant.
For Pope, the addition also carries potential value where Kentucky has been pushing to stay aggressive: on the recruiting trail. Aboyas international connections give the Wildcats another link to talent beyond the usual borders, and it fits with Popes offseason indication that one more staff move was likely coming. The job is done on paper, but the broader impact may show up in the months ahead as Kentucky continues building its next roster. [Read more 🡒]