‘That Is Alarming,’ ‘I’m Appalled’ — Heisman Winner Shines Harsh Light on LSU HC Lane Kiffin’s Disastrous Road Record Against Top-10 Teams
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Lane Kiffin has proven that he can bring energy to a locker room and get the most out of an offense, meaning LSU’s loss to Ole Miss should not be seen as the defining measure of the first-year Tigers head coach.
However, one troubling trend in Kiffin’s career continues to stand out: his struggles on the road against ranked opponents. The discussion has now drawn a reaction from former Alabama Crimson Tide star and Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram II.
Mark Ingram Calls Out Lane Kiffin’s Troubling Road Record
With a record crowd inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday, Ole Miss was the better team as Kiffin ultimately lost to his former program. LSU’s chances of reaching the 12-team College Football Playoff instantly took a hit, dropping to 50.9%, according to PFN’s CFB Playoff Meter.
The Ole Miss-LSU matchup was also a major topic on the latest episode of “The Triple Option” podcast, hosted by Ingram, Urban Meyer, and Rob Stone, with much of the discussion centered on Kiffin’s performance in road games.
Stone acknowledged Kiffin’s accomplishments and reputation as a coach before pointing to his struggles against highly ranked opponents away from home. Kiffin is now 1-9 against AP Top 10 teams on the road and 2-19 against Top 25 opponents in road games.
While Stone noted that Kiffin’s track record in this regard is “unacceptable,” Ingram also agreed with the notion.
“We respect Lane Kiffin and the coach he is, but when you continuously do something, that’s who you are, and 1-9 on the road against top 10 teams, that is alarming,” Ingram said. “Because in order to be a great coach, you have to win these games, especially in the war, on the road, especially in the SEC.
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“You’ve got a multitude of games on the road against top opponents. And if you can’t win these games in the SEC, LSU is not going to be too happy. So, you’ve got to keep going… I’m appalled.”
Following the loss to Ole Miss, LSU dropped three spots in the latest AP Poll, falling from No. 7 to No. 10.
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Kiffin will have another difficult SEC matchup in the upcoming week, though this time LSU will not face the challenge of a road game. Texas A&M is scheduled to visit Tiger Stadium on Saturday night, allowing the Tigers to bounce back against an Aggies team also coming off a disappointing result.
Texas A&M experienced the biggest drop in the latest AP Poll, sliding from No. 9 to No. 23 after suffering a 31-21 loss to unranked Kentucky. The trip to Baton Rouge will also mark the Aggies’ first road game of the season, but Kiffin warned against judging Texas A&M solely based on its loss to Kentucky.
“You can’t look at that game last week and think that’s how Texas A&M is going to show up and play the same,” Kiffin said. “They won’t. You got too many good players and (Mike) Elko is a great coach.”
Texas A&M has won the last two meetings between the programs, including the 49-25 win at Tiger Stadium during the 2025 season. Kiffin will now look to flip the script by beating the Aggies and getting the Tigers back on track.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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