Paul Finebaum, Jordan Rodgers debate College Football Playoff expectations for Lane Kiffin in Year 1 at LSU

Lane Kiffin hasn’t coached a game at LSU yet, but expectations are already sky high. After replacing Brian Kelly, Kiffin has one of the nation’s most talented rosters and immediately became argubaluy the biggest storylines entering the 2026 season. That led to an interesting debate Monday on ESPN’s Get Up, where Paul Finebaum and Jordan Rodgers discussed what would define a successful first year in Baton Rouge. While both believe Kiffin is capable of winning big at LSU, they disagreed on just how quickly those results need to come. Rodgers argued anything short of a national championship would be a disappointment, while Finebaum believes Kiffin deserves more than one season before facing that level of judgment. Rodgers didn’t hesitate when asked what success looks like for Kiffin in Year 1. $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage “Lane has to get to a national championship,” Rodgers said. “Let me tell you this: if he goes to LSU at a school that’s giving him more resources, and he doesn’t get further or as far as his Ole Miss team did with less resources, that’s a failure.” Rodgers pointed to the massive investment LSU has made under Kiffin, saying the Tigers have assembled one of the most expensive rosters in college football. “I mean, this is a roster and a team that is worth $100-plus million,” Rodgers added. “Lane Kiffin’s getting paid $13 million. Brian Kelly’s getting his buyout of $54 million, and you have a roster that’s over $40 million. If you don’t get to a national championship, this is a failure for Lane Kiffin, in my opinion.” Finebaum agreed that LSU ultimately hired Kiffin to win championships. However, he isn’t ready to make Year 1 the measuring stick. “I think ultimately it would be a failure if he doesn’t win a national championship,” Finebaum elaborated. “But I don’t think he has to do it this year. There’s so many moving parts, and because of all the things that Jordan laid out, he has everything aligned perfectly.” Evidently, Finebaum believes Kiffin’s ability to build a roster through the transfer portal gives LSU a chance to compete immediately, even if the chemistry still has to come together. “I think they’ll get to the CFP,” Finebaum said. “But I think there’s more pressure on the coach we talked about a minute ago in Steve Sarkisian than there is on Lane Kiffin this year.” Alas, Rodgers wasn’t buying the idea of any sort of grace period: “Do not give a grace period for Lane Kiffin or anybody,” Rodgers pointed out. “Curt Cignetti changed that in college football. He went to Indiana, a program that was terrible, took them to the CFP in Year 1 and a national championship in Year 2.” Moreover, Rodgers added that the current landscape of college football demands immediate success: “In the NIL era, there is no grace period,” Rodgers stated. “There is no, ‘Oh, we’ll get better. We’re gonna get there in Year 2 or Year 3.’ That’s not why you hire Lane Kiffin. That’s not why you spend $40 million. You have to win now, or it’s a failure.” In the end, Finebaum closed the debate by sticking with his belief that LSU fans would remain patient if Kiffin falls short this season. Whether that rings true remains to be seen. “They won’t blame Lane Kiffin,” Finebaum said. “They will continue blaming Brian Kelly for leaving a disaster for him. He really didn’t, but that’s not the point. I still think Kiffin survives this year well without going to the championship.”