When Lane Kiffin got off the bus to participate in the Tiger Walk before the Alabama game, he was flanked by Shaquille O’Neal and Angel Reese. Kevin Costner – Kevin fucking Costner! — walked behind him and shook his hand. No one has brought more attention and excitement to a college football program this year than Kiffin. He signed a seven-year, $91 million contract, tied with two-time national champion Kirby Smart for the second-highest in college football. According to 247Sports, their roster is the most expensive in college football, approaching $50 million. And then, Alabama entered the building. The Field of Dreams turned into a nightmare. No. 14 LSU collapsed under the weight of expectations against No. 5 Alabama, losing 31-13 in a landslide. After taking a 13-10 lead in the third quarter, the Tigers allowed 21 unanswered points for Kiffin’s sixth straight loss against the Crimson Tide. With the loss, LSU sits at 6-3 and 0-3 against teams in the CFP Rankings. Their most impressive performance is arguably a one-point loss to No. 6 Kentucky on the road. While Kiffin has raised the bar for LSU, leaving unranked teams in the dust, he hasn’t shown up for real national competition. At every influential moment, Alabama smoked LSU. The Tide held LSU to a field goal after first and goal. They forced a missed field goal and then set up a touchdown from excellent field position. LSU fumbled three times, including twice in the fourth quarter, and turned the ball over twice. And what makes matters worse is that Kiffin’s signature offense was completely outclassed by Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. Statistically, LSU managed to rack up 457 yards, but the numbers go deeper. They finished in the 19th percentile in yards per play, the 20th percentile in EPA per play, and the 1st percentile in explosive play rate, according to Game on Paper. Essentially, LSU did nothing to really force Alabama’s defense to adjust. It’s a tough pill to swallow when you’ve built your career on being an offensive savant. Kiffin had a great career at Ole Miss, elevating the program to new heights, especially working with Grove Collective to improve its NIL operation. With his squad abandoned, Pete Golding led Ole Miss to the national semifinals last year. Kiffin has yet to coach a postseason game, a streak that will likely continue this year. LSU still has two more chances against No. 7 Texas and No. 13 Tennessee to win in the standings, but the Tigers team facing elite teams simply isn’t good enough to win both games. If they split the result, LSU would finish 8-4 with a 1-4 record against CFP Top 25 opponents. After the season, most of the best players on the roster will leave for the NFL. Kiffin will have to start over, building through the transfer portal. For the first time since 2016, Louisiana’s top two recruits leave the state. To add insult to injury, No. 3 quarterback Elijah Haven, a Baton Rouge native, chose Kalen DeBoer and the Tide over Kiffin. Kiffin arrived in Baton Rouge with an incredible amount of hype, landing Vanity Fair covers and dominating the interview circuit. When he got the job, Louisiana Senator John Kenny joked: “All this nonsense is worth it, but he better win.” Well, Kiffin isn’t winning. And after another embarrassing loss to Alabama, they could be headed for a painful offseason.
