When LSU broke the bank to poach head coach Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss right before the College Football Playoff earlier this year, the expectation in Baton Rouge was that the team was going all-in on winning a national title. Jordan Rodgers of SEC Network even exclaimed on ESPN’s “First Take” Monday morning that the 2026 season was “national championship or bust” for Kiffin and LSU. Read More on NCAA“I’m not going to beat around the bush, Lane Kiffin has to reach the national championship game or it’s a failure,” Rodgers said. “If he can’t get further than he did at Ole Miss, with more resources at LSU, then what are we even doing here? “That’s $54 million to have Brian Kelly not coach them, that’s $40 million-plus to a roster that you accumulated talent through the NIL portal, and you have $13 million for Lane Kiffin.