Lane Kiffin doesn’t sound worried about the College Football Playoff getting bigger. In his view, the move to 24 teams is overdue.
The LSU head coach said the sport’s current setup leaves too much room for uneven treatment when teams are judged for the postseason. ESPN and the CFP are nearing a deal to expand the playoff to 24 teams beginning in 2027, and Kiffin’s response was direct.
“I think it had to happen,” Kiffin said on the “Brandon Walker College Football Show.” “You could say, okay, 12 is better, but not when you take into account the way college football is set up now.
The conferences are so different. The four conferences.
They are. They’re different stadiums, they’re different environments, they’re different middle to bottom of them, and so you’re not playing equal schedules; they’re not even close.
“If you took an SEC team and gave them another one of those conference’s schedules, they’d average two more wins. Well, that’s a big deal. So, I say all that to say you had to go to more teams, because the system’s broke in how they pick them, and nothing against the committee.”
Kiffin’s position isn’t hard to read. An expanded field would give the SEC more breathing room, and LSU would stand to benefit from that as well.
For now, the Tigers are focused on what comes next. LSU is 6-2 overall and heads into a huge game against Alabama next Saturday, Nov.
- The loser will have three losses and be in a tough spot for the rest of the season.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
In Other News...
LSUs Transfer Gamble Is Now Defining The Playoff Push
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But the portal has not been a clean success story across the board, and the uneven returns are part of what makes this stretch so interesting for LSU. Wide receiver Jayce Brown and tight ends Malachi Thomas and Zach Grace have yet to match expectations, while the offensive line remains a work in progress with transfer starters still trying to lock down their spots. For a team trying to separate itself late in the year, the question is no longer whether the gambles paid off in spots, but whether enough of them will hold when the pressure climbs. [Read more 🡒]
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Mansoor Delane had his hands full in coverage against Jaxon Smith-Njigba, while A.J. Haulcys growing impact for the Colts has made him more noticeable on that side of the ball. Zavion Thomas saw penalties cut into his playing time, Bauer Sharp spent a blowout game in a blocking role, and Barion Brown kept working into the Saints offense. Harold Perkins flashed as a tackler for the Falcons, and Jack Pyburn was inactive for the Chiefs, a reminder that the jump from college success to a stable NFL role is rarely a straight line. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Bye Week Still Carries Real Playoff Pressure
After eight games and a 6-2 start, LSU gets a bye week with no chance to hide from the bigger picture. The Tigers still control plenty of their own destiny, and the path is clear enough: win out the regular season, get into the SEC championship game and keep the College Football Playoff conversation alive.
Even if LSU ends up at 9-3, the rsum debate will not be simple, because the path back into the playoff picture also depends on a series of other results around the country. Conference races, head-to-head outcomes and how the committee weighs the final stretch will all matter, which means this bye week is less of a breather than it looks. The Tigers can rest, but they cannot really relax. [Read more 🡒]