- What do they want at LSU? They want a national title. Was that not clear?
- LSU pushed its chips in on this season with an $18 million roster.
- Brian Kelly left Notre Dame for LSU knowing the job’s demands.
You couldn’t miss Brian Kelly’s tirade. The internet wouldn’t let you. The college football ecosystem loves to hate on Kelly, and a fresh opportunity arrived earlier this month, after Kelly tore into a reporter who had the nerve to ask LSU’s coach about his team’s struggling offense after a 20-10 win against Florida.
“You want us to win 70 to nothing against Florida to keep you happy?” Kelly fumed.
Get those memes ready!
Kelly’s fiery exchange with the reporter lasted 80 seconds, but never mind the full text. The crux of it boiled down to two sentences.
“I don’t know what you want from me,” Kelly seethed on Sept. 13. “What do you want?”
What do they want? They want a national championship. Was that not clear?
That’s why LSU hired Kelly, at a steep cost, and awarded him a nearly fully guaranteed 10-year contract.
LSU invested $18 million into this roster. What did Kelly think the money was for?
Truth is, he knows the answer to the question he asked. Beating Billy Napier is nice, but a lot of folks do that. LSU pushed its chips in for a national championship run, not just a rivalry win.
We’ll learn more about where Kelly’s No. 4 Tigers stand after they play at No. 11 Mississippi this weekend.
If expecting a national championship in Year 4 is too much to ask, then Kelly never should have left Notre Dame for LSU. Because, Nick Saban, Les Miles and Ed Orgeron each won a natty within his first four seasons coaching LSU.
Kelly understands the expectation. I think he likes it.
I know he likes the roster the donor dollars bought. He shelled out $1 million of his own to ignite the fundraising drive that resulted in LSU signing the nation’s best transfer class. Kelly peacocked his way through the offseason, telling anyone who’d listen he’d assembled the best roster of his tenure.
The early returns: LSU’s defense looks fiercer than it’s been in years. It’s a fine vintage from the portal’s best cellars.
The offense? Developing.
Brian Kelly came to LSU for expectations such as these
If Kelly wanted a cushy schedule and more contract extensions after also-ran finishes, he could have stayed at Notre Dame until he retired. He opted to roll with the big boys in the Deep South, and he understands what comes with that, even if he lost his head for a few minutes.
I’ll cut Kelly a little slack. Equanimity is not ubiquitous in a news conference minutes after a rivalry game, and I doubt he expected the first question after an SEC victory to be about the team’s shortcomings. He later apologized to the reporter whom he berated.
So, never mind the rant. Just produce the championship.
That feat will require more from LSU’s offense than it supplied in wins against Clemson and Florida. Kelly revealed an injury hampered quarterback Garrett Nussmeier throughout the first few weeks.
And now?
“He’s feeling really comfortable,” Kelly said of his veteran quarterback.
Full steam ahead, then, but beware the pitfalls ahead.
‘We have six consecutive SEC opponents,’ Kelly said. ‘This is where the separation begins.’
Lane Kiffin showers LSU with praise before Magnolia Bowl
The past two Magnolia Bowls were instant classics. If oddsmakers’ betting line provides an accurate indication, this will be another.
The spotlight hasn’t shined as brightly on Ole Miss as it did last season. Maybe, that’s for the best. The Rebels wilted in the glow. They’re accelerating under the radar.
The Ole Miss offense rallied behind backup quarterback turned breakout star Trinidad Chambliss after an injury to starter Austin Simmons. Kiffin, the self-proclaimed ‘Portal King,’ wielded his scepter and unearthed Chambliss from faraway Ferris State in the Division II ranks. Expect Chambliss to start, but Simmons to be available against LSU.
So … quarterback controversy? Not really.
Two good options are better than no good options. What Kentucky coach Mark Stoops wouldn’t give to have Kiffin’s “controversy.”
Chambliss torched Tulane’s defense, but the challenge heightens against an LSU defense Kiffin aptly described as “loaded.”
Kiffin’s up to his usual tricks, trying to shift the pressure onto LSU by highlighting LSU’s roster payroll.
“They’ve heavily financially invested in the portal and made that decision,” Kiffin said. “That’s no secret. Coach Kelly talked about that, how much money they’ve spent. And it shows.”
Sure it does, but it’s not as if Ole Miss bought its team from the Dollar Store. Kiffin knows where to shop, too.
This Magnolia Bowl is the Transfer Bowl. Nobody mined the portal better than Kelly and Kiffin this past offseason.
Money well spent.
“These guys have one of the best rosters in America,” Kiffin said.
Kiffin told no lies. Kelly basically said as much in the preseason.
Here’s a fun little fact: Kelly’s .750 winning percentage at LSU matches Saban’s clip on the Bayou. He’s creeping up on Miles’ winning percentage, too.
What more do they want at LSU?
Only to win a national championship.
When do they want it? This season would work.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.