Lane Kiffin is already getting his excuses ready for LSU's disappointing regular season

Lane Kiffin Blames SEC’s Nine‑Game Schedule as LSU Battles Playoff Hopes

By Maine News Now

In the middle of a roller‑coaster first season, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin is taking a sharp swing at the conference’s new scheduling format. After a 2‑loss record in the first seven games, the Tigers are slated to face a brutal stretch that includes road trips to Auburn and Tennessee, a home game against Alabama, an away game against Texas, and a season‑ending trip to Arkansas. Kiffin’s criticism comes as the program is still fighting for a berth in the College Football Playoff.

A Season of Ups and Downs

LSU opened the year with a dominant win over Clemson before stumbling to a loss against Kentucky, a team that many expected to be an easy target. The Tigers followed that with a defeat at the hands of Ole Miss in a heated, emotional home‑coming game. The first seven games left LSU with two losses, a record that threatens to derail any playoff aspirations.

“Look at this team Auburn Tigers, if you took away their first SEC loss, and it was just a win versus a Group of Six team, they'd be a top‑10 team right now,” Kiffin told reporters at a recent press conference. “They’d have one loss, on the road at Tennessee to a really good team. And somehow now, because of adding an extra game, they’re not even ranked and they just beat the number one team in the country.”

The Nine‑Game Schedule Debate

Kiffin, who has openly opposed the SEC’s new nine‑game conference schedule, argues that the change “guarantees the SEC an additional eight in‑conference losses.” He explained that the new structure pushes an extra game into the calendar, effectively replacing an early win and pushing a team further from the top of the standings.

“We’re not changing the math,” Kiffin said. “I think somebody said there are two SEC teams in the top‑10 right now, and I said before it started, I said, ‘Take away the first SEC game that you play because that’s going to be brand new, the ninth one came early and got added and replaced an early win, you know where that’s going to put you?’”

When asked whether there were any positives to the nine‑game schedule, Kiffin answered simply: “No.”

Metrics and Rankings

Kiffin also touched on the perceived lack of objective metrics in college football. “It’s just where football is, and they can’t see like they do in basketball or baseball, metrics, so it is what it is,” he said. He cited ESPN’s SP+ rankings, noting that the Big Ten has nine teams in the top 30, compared with seven for the SEC. He pointed out that Auburn sits at No. 42, Texas A&M at No. 33, Oklahoma at No. 34, Florida at No. 38, and Mississippi State at No. 48, arguing that “the SEC is getting a lot of benefit of the doubt when it comes to human poll voters relative to objective metrics.”

He highlighted a curious trend: “There are currently five teams from the SEC ranked despite having two losses. There isn’t a single two‑loss team in the top‑25 poll that isn’t from the SEC.” He added that no other conference has a two‑loss team ranked in the top 25, a point that underscores his frustration with the perception of SEC strength.

Transfer Portal and Depth Concerns

The coach also mentioned the impact of the transfer portal and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals on team depth. “You see players going from teams for more money, and they go to another team in the conference. That’s fine, it is what it is, but at the same time it’s so hard for teams to build depth after their top players… don’t add more conference games. Because now you’ve got what you’ve got.”

Looking Ahead

With a tough schedule that includes a road trip to Auburn on Sunday, a home game against Alabama, an away match at Texas in Baton Rouge, a road game at Tennessee, and a final trip to Arkansas, LSU’s chances to secure a playoff spot hinge on the Tigers’ ability to win out. Kiffin’s comments about the SEC schedule add an extra layer of frustration for the program as it seeks to overcome early setbacks.

For now, Lane Kiffin remains unapologetic: “It’s just what it is.” The Tigers face the challenge of proving that the conference’s nine‑game format isn’t the sole factor holding them back.