Prominent national media outlet makes damning prediction for Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers that could lead to some bad news
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CBS Sports made a “bold prediction” this week for the LSU Tigers that could lead to some bad news for Lane Kiffin.
Kiffin, who resigned as the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels before the team’s season ended to take over at LSU, is facing high expectations in year one in Baton Rouge.
The expectation is that LSU will reach the College Football Playoff in Kiffin’s first season at the helm (the Tigers sunk a significant amount of cash into the roster).
CBS Sports’ Cody Nagel, however, boldly predicted on Monday that LSU will miss the playoff in year one.
“Expectations of a CFP run in 2026 began the second Lane Kiffin stepped off the plane in Baton Rouge,” wrote Nagel. “LSU spent big in the transfer portal with the No. 1 incoming class in hopes of replicating the formula for success Kiffin had at Ole Miss. But growing pains on both sides of the ball in a brutal league could keep the Tigers just outside the 12-team field.”
LSU hasn’t reached the College Football Playoff since Joe Burrow and company led the Tigers to a national championship six years ago.
Lane Kiffin is already on the hot seat at LSU
Kiffin hasn’t coached a game at LSU yet, but due to the lofty expectations and investment into the roster, he’s essentially already on the hot seat.
“LSU spent a ton on this transfer portal class,” said 247Sports’ Chris Hummer recently. “This is a $40 million roster or more. It creates immediate championship expectations for Lane Kiffin.
“Between his salary and the cost of this roster, Kiffin is going to have more pressure on him than any first-year head coach in history. He’s been given every resource to go win a championship, and he’ll need to compete for one next year. Otherwise, it’s going to get very warm for him very quickly.”
247Sports’ John Talty suggested that it’s “playoff or bust” for Kiffin and the Tigers in 2026.
“With how much money they’ve invested and all the outside noise they endured to hire Lane, it’s playoff or bust for him in year one,” said Talty. “That is now the bare minimum at LSU. It’ll be very interesting to see how he handles that level of pressure.”
Unless things totally fall apart at LSU this season, which is unlikely, Kiffin probably won’t be fired if he fails to reach the playoff (the buyout is 80 percent of his remaining salary).
But the pressure will be at an all-time high on Kiffin entering 2027 if LSU isn’t one of the 12 playoff teams in year one. At that point, if Kiffin were to miss the playoff two years in a row, LSU might be in the market for a new head coach.
Kiffin left a job at Ole Miss where it was possible to compete for a national championship and enjoy solid job security for a job that will fire him in a hurry if he doesn’t quickly deliver results.
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This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Feb 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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