‘If you don’t, then we’ve got a problem’ – Former LSU quarterback puts Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin on notice
Lane Kiffin is facing high expectations in his first season as the head coach of the LSU Tigers. Kiffin left his job as the head coach at Ole Miss, while the rebels were in the middle of a playoff run, to take the LSU job.
Lane Kiffin was essentially put on notice this week by a former LSU Tigers quarterback.
Kiffin is facing high expectations after leaving the Ole Miss Rebels last winter to replace Brian Kelly as the head football coach at LSU.
For Kiffin, it’s basically playoff or bust in year one at LSU.
Former LSU QB says “we have a problem” if Lane Kiffin doesn’t take the Tigers to the College Football Playoff
Former LSU quarterback Rohan Davey joined WAFB’s Jacques Doucet this week to discuss the Kiffin era in Baton Rouge.
Davey, who played for the Tigers from 1998 to 2001, made it clear that reaching the College Football Playoff should be considered the floor for Kiffin at LSU.
“The floor for me — I don’t care what the record is — the floor is the playoffs,” said Davey. “It doesn’t matter what your record is, the floor is the playoffs. If you don’t get in the playoffs, then we got a problem. Especially once you’ve seen how well he’s done at Ole Miss by going through the portal the last few years, and not having the brand behind him that he has now in LSU.
“And also, the money behind you that you have at LSU. I know he’s spent over $45 million, and that wasn’t what was expected at the beginning when he first got here. They threw more money and more money (at the roster). And then, not to mention, you’ve got Coach (Ed) Orgeron now on the staff. You got these guys that you wanted on the staff. Everything that he has wanted, he has definitely received.”
Davey also said that Kiffin should leave all of the Ole Miss references in the past.
It’s hard to disagree with Davey’s take. In this era, championship rosters aren’t built over several years — they’re built in a single offseason. So the fact that Kiffin is in entering his first season at LSU shouldn’t lower the playoff expectations in year one (despite Kiffin’s comments earlier this spring).
Kiffin left a great situation at Ole Miss for what he believes is an even better situation at LSU. And he’s received everything he wanted in terms of his coaching staff and resources (aka money for the roster). And he has one of the best fan bases in college football behind him. There are no excuses for coming up short this fall (outside of injuries, because it’s nearly impossible to build quality depth in the transfer portal era).
If LSU doesn’t get to the College Football Playoff in 2026, it means Kiffin failed in the biggest way possible.