The Lane Kiffin era of LSU football is enduring rough turbulence. Kentucky created Kiffin and the Tigers' biggest shakeup of 2026 on Saturday. LSU now entered Monday ranked No. 22, but falling 12 spots thanks to the 34-33 upset loss.
Yes, the Tigers aren't mathematically out of the conference championship race. The College Football Playoffs aren't out just yet either.
But a lot of external factors must come into play. And in diving deeper, here are the reasons why Kiffin's first season lands on the cooked side.
LSU, Lane Kiffin haven't won big games together yet
The Ole Miss showdown handed Kiffin the ultimate chance of proving he was right to leave the playoff-bound Rebels for LSU. Plus prove he took over a more talented bunch compared to the place he left behind.
Except Ole Miss leaned into emotions and the star play of quarterback Trinidad Chambliss to prove Kiffin wrong. Although that loss kept LSU within the top 10 of the national rankings.
But the road trip to Lexington emerged as a massive deal for the SEC. Especially for a Wildcats team aiming to deliver their own noise in the loaded conference. That Saturday showdown presented UK coach Will Stein a chance to ignite national conversations about his team.
Kentucky clearly took the game more seriously compared to Kiffin's Tigers in the end. Kiffin saw a team that lacked execution and UK took advantage, delivering the statement overtime victory.
Kiffin lands at 0-2 against currently ranked top 25 teams this season. Proving that this LSU group still must learn to topple some of the nation's best if they want to establish themselves as a national title contender.
The road gets tougher from here for Lane Kiffin, LSU
So now Ole Miss and Kentucky sent the blueprint on how to beat Kiffin's Tigers. But that aforementioned winless mark could become worse for LSU.
Article Continues BelowBecause the road to both the SEC title game and a spot in the 12-team postseason gets harder from here.
No. 16 Mississippi State is next on deck and the Bulldogs bring their own dynamic dual-threat in Kamario Taylor, despite his injury. LSU already struggled with Chambliss and UK's Kenny Minchey.
And the Bulldogs aren't even the highest ranked team LSU has left. No. 6 Alabama still comes to Baton Rouge and will be fueled by its loss to No. 1 Georgia. Then No. 7 Texas arrives the following week on Nov. 14. Finally, LSU has its pre-Thanksgiving road trip against No. 14 Tennessee.
That's four ranked teams still left on the Tigers' schedule. Granted, three of which head to Death Valley in Louisiana. But still, LSU already struggled with a previous top 10 ranked opponent in Ole Miss. And the likes of Mississippi State, Alabama and Texas have its own SEC title/CFP aspirations plus are led by coaches who have been at their posts longer. So LSU either catapults back into the national conversation or face a 6-6 finish in year one of Kiffin.
Signs already point to Kiffin and LSU simply needing to settle for a lesser bowl game and avoid the 5-7 finish at this point.