It’s hard to believe that it has been six years since LSU last won a national championship. Even more surprising: the Tigers haven’t qualified for the College Football Playoff since that historic 15–0 run during the 2019–20 season.
Back when Joe Burrow was routinely connecting on 30-plus-yard strikes with Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson — while Ed Orgeron bellowed his Saturday night praises to the great state of Louisiana — it felt as though the Bayou Bengals were standing on the doorstep of a sustained dynasty.
What followed, however, was anything but.
Once the confetti settled inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Orgeron’s program quickly unraveled. The Louisiana native posted an uninspiring 11–11 record over the next two seasons, and LSU ultimately parted ways with Coach O at the conclusion of the 2021 regular season.
Then came Brian Kelly.
LSU’s brass believed it had landed a savior from South Bend — the head coach forged in the house that Rockne built. Instead, what followed felt closer to a traveling circus. Fake Southern accents, head-scratching late-game decisions, and an avalanche of losses defined Kelly’s tenure in Baton Rouge. Rather than leading Tiger Nation to the promised land, the New England native appeared overwhelmed by life in the SEC.
Kelly finished his LSU tenure with a 34–14 record before being dismissed on October 26, 2025 — the day after the Tigers were bludgeoned 49–25 at home by rival Texas A&M. By that point, it was evident that patience had run out in Baton Rouge.
Enter Lane Kiffin.
During the offseason — while LSU regrouped and Ole Miss was preparing for the winter phase of its own playoff push — Tiger Nation pulled off a stunning move, prying Kiffin away from Magnolia Bowl rival Ole Miss. It’s the kind of storyline that feels destined for an ESPN 30 for 30 someday.
The often confounding, yet offensively brilliant, Lane Kiffin has injected immediate life into the LSU program — and he hasn’t even coached a spring practice yet.
Since his arrival, Kiffin has ignited a recruiting surge that eluded his predecessor. LSU’s 2026 class — combining high school signees and transfers — currently ranks No. 1 nationally, according to 247Sports.
That haul includes a staggering 40 incoming transfers alongside 17 true freshmen. The class features five five-star prospects and 21 four-star recruits, highlighted by defensive lineman Richard Anderson, offensive lineman Jordan Seaton, edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, and quarterback Sam Leavitt.
The impact has been immediate and unmistakable. In just a few months, Kiffin and his staff have fortified both lines of scrimmage with elite talent, revamped the receiving corps, and landed the top signal-caller in the transfer portal.
As a result, a Curt Cignetti–style turnaround feels imminent in Baton Rouge. Mark my words: the Bayou Bengals will be playoff-bound in 2026.
The only remaining question — can Lane Kiffin take LSU all the way back to the promised land?