Kiffin's first season as head coach of the LSU Tigers has been a bit of a roller coaster.They've at times looked dominant, like the opening weekend demolition of Clemson, then struggled in a loss to what should have been an overmatched Kentucky team.
The loss at Ole Miss, in a highly charged, emotional return to Oxford was understandable on the face of it, and yet was exactly the type of game Kiffin was hired to win.This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.
This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.Now, with two losses in the first seven games, LSU still has a tough schedule remaining.The Tigers have upcoming games against Auburn on the road this weekend, a home game against Alabama, followed by Texas in Baton Rouge, a road game against Tennessee, and a season-ending trip to Arkansas.
For a program that entered the season with aspirations of reaching the College Football Playoff, Kiffin needs to win out to feel good about finishing in playoff position.LANE KIFFIN IS ALREADY SOMEHOW BLAMING THE SEC'S NEW CONFERENCE SCHEDULE FOR LSU'S INJURIESLSU head coach Lane Kiffin gestures toward an official during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Sept.19, 2026.
(AP Photo/Rogelio V.Solis)And he's already got his excuses ready for if they don't.In a news conference this week, Kiffin explained to reporters that he opposed the SEC's new nine-game conference schedule, and detailed how the math guarantees the SEC an additional eight in-conference losses."And they kinda said when it was proposed, they said, 'Well, okay, you're going to take on eight more losses.
I mean, that's going to be real, there's no way of changing the math, that's going to happen.So you see that, I think somebody said there's two SEC teams in the top-10 right now, and I said before it started, I said, 'Take away ...