Lane Kiffin watched the College Football Playoff hopes for LSU slip away at Death Valley on Saturday, and ESPN Paul Finebaum wasted no time laying the blame squarely on the first-year head coach.
The Tigers fell 31-13 to rival Alabama, dropping their record to 6-3 overall and an even 3-3 in the SEC. According to SaturdayDownSouth.com, Finebaum pulled no punches during his weekly appearance on The Matt Barrie Show on Sunday, declaring that Kiffin simply choked when the game was on the line.
Things actually looked manageable late in the third quarter when LSU trailed just 13-10. Yet the game quickly unraveled from there, leaving the Tigers facing a steep climb just to remain relevant in the postseason picture.
I have said to you and others that I thought Kiffin would get it turned around at some point and win a national championship,
Finebaum said, as quoted by SaturdayDownSouth.com.
But you have to wonder if Lane Kiffin isn’t just all sizzle and no substance. I mean, I didn’t see anything that impressed me. They had so many opportunities, and when it came down to a call from the sidelines, Kiffin whiffed. Kiffin choked.
Finebaum also noted Kiffin got punked on home turf, drawing parallels to a similar event that happened two years ago, which was the beginning of the end for Brian Kelly. Finebaum pointed out that while Kiffin has beaten teams like Mississippi State and Auburn, he hasn’t done so against the good teams.
The timing could not be more unforgiving for the Tigers. Texas is heading to Death Valley for a primetime showdown in Week 11 on ABC, offering Kiffin an immediate opportunity to flip the narrative before a national audience.
LSU could win out to finish 9-3 with subsequent games against Tennessee and Arkansas waiting in the wings. Whether that record proves enough to sway the selection committee after absorbing three losses remains uncertain.
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