There have been two big storylines dominating the headlines over the past week or so: the poor attendance at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for USC’s home opener amid atrocious conditions and the influx of NFL players returning to college football.One team in particular has been especially aggressive at bringing in athletes who've already moved on to the NFL, and it's, surprise, surprise, Lane Kiffin's LSU Tigers.TEXAS TECH HEAD COACH BLASTS USC, LINCOLN RILEY, FOR POOR ATTENDANCE AT LA COLISEUM IN WEEK ZEROLane Kiffin speaks at a press conference as he is introduced as the new head football coach of the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., on Dec.1, 2025.
(Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)This decision has been controversial, to say the least.Conferences have rushed to ban it, while prominent personalities like Ohio State's Ryan Day have spoken out against it.
There are lawsuits galore, including one with a scheduled court date on Thursday morning.The SEC has already reportedly debated what type of enforcement action they might, or will be allowed, to take, should LSU follow through by putting these players on the field.This debate and its outcome is important for the future of the sport and how rosters are constructed, but it could quite literally impact College Football Playoff spots.
Now, not months down the road.LSU opens their season at home in Baton Rouge against the Clemson Tigers, two programs coming off disappointing seasons and looking for a return to relevance.While LSU's a substantial favorite, and has home field advantage, Clemson is a talented team with every reason to believe they can compete or pull the upset.
But that task might be a bit harder if Kiffin's allowed to use those, shall we say, advanced, players.BIG TEN BANS NFL RETURNEES, PUTTING LSU AND LANE KIFFIN ON COLLISION COURSE WITH THE SECClemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney waits to lead his team on the field prior to the game between the Clemson Tigers and Georgia Tech Yel...