Paul Finebaum watched Lane Kiffin shift from college football’s problem to its new draw after one night in Baton Rouge. LSU head coach had been the villain in the eligibility fight before the 2026 season began, but now that same story is being sold as must-watch TV now.
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The ESPN analyst changed his tone on Kiffin and LSU after their dominant Week 1 win over Clemson. He had attacked Kiffin and the program over the eligibility fight and the missing leadership. On the September 7 episode of ESPN’s Get Up, he was complimentary.
“Absolutely. They’re a national championship contender. They’re SEC contenders. They are the team in college football right now; you cannot take your eyes off them. This is the new IT program in college football. I haven’t seen anything like this, well, probably since Miami in the 80s and 90s,” Finebaum said
“I started thinking ultimately, Lane Kiffin, when he moves on to the next team or the next team, 20 years from now, Lane Kiffin’s going to be in the TV business because he is going to produce the 30 for 30 on his arrival at LSU. He’ll do it all. He’ll produce, direct, star,” he added.
Only days earlier, on September 5 on SEC Nation, Finebaum had a different take. He called Kiffin immature and said LSU’s leaders were missing. He publicly named LSU President Wade Rousse, saying that the LSU administration is letting Kiffin call the shots.
“We can all wrap our arms around Lane Kiffin and say he’s lovable and he’s a great coach. But in the end, he’s a child,” Finebaum had said. “ He’s a 51-year-old man behaving like a 16-year-old.”
Saturday, he attacked the process, the adults in the room, and the eligibility mess. After the Clemson blowout, he praised the same program as the new IT team.
The game was embarrassing for Clemson. LSU led 31-3 at halftime and 44-3 after three quarters. But the game was essentially over in the first quarter, even though LSU started the proceedings with an offensive interception on the second play of its first drive. Clemson used that turnover to score a field goal, but nothing after that.
Clemson’s only touchdown came late against LSU backups. A blowout that completely made the week’s off-field noise look smaller. Lane Kiffin didn’t forget all the noise surrounding his program before the game. During his halftime interview, the LSU head coach even joked, “Imagine if we had pro players.” That line undercut the idea that LSU needed those two to look special.
Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris did not play the game. LSU left them off the official Week 1 roster. LSU still dominated without them.
The Tigers set a school record with 38 first downs and rushed for 309 yards. Clemson went 1-of-13 on third down and managed 40 rushing yards. LSU recorded 11 tackles for loss and four sacks. Those stats let Finebaum sell LSU as more than a controversy.