LSU didn’t make a quiet hire when it went after Lane Kiffin. It made a statement.
After parting ways with Brian Kelly last season, the Tigers pulled Kiffin from Ole Miss in a move that stirred plenty of debate and put his name right back at the center of college football’s most polarizing conversations. LSU also didn’t just bring him in with a big contract; it likely helped absorb a hefty buyout, too.
In other words, this wasn’t a small swing. It was a full-on bet on a coach who now walks into one of the sport’s most demanding jobs.
And with that kind of investment comes a very clear standard.
On SEC Network, Paul Finebaum laid it out plainly: LSU should be in the College Football Playoff.
“CFP [College Football Playoffs.] It’s really simple,” said Finebaum. “That is the expectation because not only the money paid to him, the money paid to the players.”
That’s the reality Kiffin inherits in Baton Rouge. At Ole Miss, he had already pushed the program to a level it hadn’t seen since, arguably, the Archie Manning era.
He proved he can coach. That part isn’t really up for debate.
What is up for debate is the timing of his exit. Kiffin left during one of the strongest runs in modern Ole Miss history, and the Rebels still reached the College Football Playoff semifinals even after losing him before the postseason. That leaves behind a massive what-if, one that could linger for a long time.
Now the pressure shifts to LSU, where the expectation is simple: win fast, win big, and get into the playoff right away. For Kiffin, that’s the challenge. For everyone watching, it’s the measuring stick.
If he wants to change the way people talk about his coaching exits, there’s only one real answer. Winning does that. And LSU is giving him a chance to do it on the biggest stage.
Will Kiffin make a College Football Playoff run in his first season at LSU?
In Other News...
Roman Harper Just Took A Brutal Shot At Ole Miss
Ole Miss walked into the offseason with real momentum after a College Football Playoff semifinal run, and the expectations only grew because the Rebels are bringing back key pieces for the new season. At SEC Media Days, though, the conversation around Lane Kiffins team took a sharp turn when Roman Harper made it clear he is not buying the national-title hype, even with the Rebels now being talked about like a program on the verge of breaking through.
The skepticism came in a lively SEC Nation setting alongside Tim Tebow, Paul Finebaum and Chase Daniel, where Ole Miss was being discussed as one of the leagues most intriguing teams after coming so close in the playoff. Instead of treating that run as a sign the Rebels are ready to finish the job, Harper pushed back hard, leaving one more reminder that in the SEC, respect for a rising team can disappear quickly if people think the ceiling is still being oversold. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Just Took Another Painful Recruiting Hit In The Secondary
Another promising secondary target is off the board, and this one stings for Ole Miss because the Rebels were in the thick of the race for four-star safety Adryan Cole. The Douglasville, Georgia, prospect is one of the more coveted defensive backs in the 2027 class, sitting near the top of the safety board and among the better overall prospects in the country, which made him a priority for a handful of SEC programs.
Coles decision only adds to Georgias early momentum in the cycle, where the Bulldogs continue to stack blue-chip talent and now have nine such commits in the class. For Ole Miss, it is another reminder that the battle for elite defensive backs is already heating up, and this one leaves the Rebels still looking for a way to land a headlining piece in the back end. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Fans Have Waited For This Kam Franklin Moment
Kam Franklin arrived at Ole Miss with the kind of billing that can hang over a player for years, but the defensive lineman has been building toward the moment Rebels fans have been waiting for. A five-star recruit and the top prospect in Mississippi, Franklin has steadily earned more playing time over his first two seasons, and the production has followed as hes gone from promising newcomer to a player the staff can count on.
What has stood out most around the program is the way Franklin has grown into himself, with coaches and teammates noting the confidence and leadership that have come with his development. Ole Miss expects him to take on a much larger role in 2026, and the next step is less about potential now and more about how quickly he can turn that promise into the kind of disruptive presence this defense has been building toward. [Read more 🡒]