The hype surrounding Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers has reached another level heading into the 2026 college football season.
With the Tigers entering the season outside the top 10 of the preseason AP Poll at No. 11, former Alabama running back and current college football analyst Damien Harris believes LSU is the most dangerous team sitting outside that group.
Appearing on CBS Sports College Football, Harris made it clear that he wasn’t buying any alternative answer.
“No, it’s not the Alabama Crimson Tide. It’s the LSU Tigers,” Harris said.
For Harris, it is simple. LSU made one of the biggest coaching hires in the country when it brought Kiffin to Baton Rouge after his successful tenure at Ole Miss. Now, the expectations surrounding the program are enormous.
“If it’s not, what the hell have we been talking about all offseason?” Harris said.
Kiffin’s decision to leave Ole Miss for LSU was largely viewed as a move toward a program with greater resources and the infrastructure necessary to compete for championships. Harris believes that investment needs to translate into results sooner rather than later.
“If not, why the hell did Lane Kiffin leave Ole Miss where he said he didn’t feel like he had the ultimate resources to win a national championship, to recruit, to do everything that he needed to do to be successful?” Harris said.
That pressure isn’t necessarily a bad thing for LSU. In fact, it’s part of what makes the Tigers so intriguing heading into the season. Kiffin and the Tigers have spent much of the offseason under a national microscope because of his arrival. From the moment he was hired, the conversation surrounding the Tigers has centered on what the offensive-minded coach can accomplish with the resources available to him in Baton Rouge.
Now, the preseason rankings have given LSU another storyline. The Tigers aren’t viewed as a top-10 team entering the season, but Harris believes that could make them even more dangerous. If LSU can live up to the expectations surrounding Kiffin and put together a strong start, they could quickly force their way into national championship conversations.
“They better have the best chances of knocking some people off and getting to the College Football Playoff,” Harris said.
For LSU, that is ultimately what this season is about. Kiffin wasn’t brought to Baton Rouge simply to make the Tigers competitive. He was brought in to elevate the program and compete for championships.