On Sunday, the college football world received a jolt when it was announced that Lane Kiffin would be abandoning the Ole Miss Rebels ahead of their upcoming college football playoff run in order to accept the head coaching job at LSU. On his way out, Kiffin burned any and all bridges he had in Oxford, and now will hope to resurrect an LSU program that hasn't experienced any meaningful success since Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson, and Ja'Marr Chase skipped town.
Recently, college football insider Todd McShay highlighted one key reason he believes Lane Kiffin bolted.
“I can now go there and chase what Nick (Saban) created at Alabama. And that absolutely is his mindset,” said McShay, per The Ringer on X, formerly Twitter.
Some fans were wondering why there was such hoopla surrounding Kiffin's decision to begin with, considering that the fact that he hasn't come particularly close to championship contention at any of his coaching stops. However, his seemingly innovative offensive strategies, as well as (perhaps most importantly) his propensity to stay in the headlines, made him a valuable hire for LSU.
Chasing what Nick Saban did at Alabama would mean winning six championship rings, which would appear to be a steep hill to climb, to be sure. Recruiting has never been a problem at LSU even in their down period of the last several years, and it remains to be seen what exactly Kiffin will change about the team and culture that Brian Kelly was unable to.
In any case, all eyes will be glued to television screens next year when Kiffin and the LSU Tigers hit the road to face Ole Miss in what is sure to be a hostile environment in Oxford. The date for that return game has yet to be announced.
