LSU’s poor 2025 campaign cost Brian Kelly his job midway through the season. Lane Kiffin then arrived in Baton Rouge on a seven-year, $91 million deal, with the Tigers going all-in on a championship run. But with expectations soaring before the season even begins, one former LSU star believes the new head coach could already be sitting on one of the hottest seats in college football.

“LSU fans hate hearing the truth, but yes, Lane Kiffin is already on the hot seat, whether you like me or not,” Breiden Fehoko wrote on his X handle. “You left Ole Miss cause they couldn’t give you what LSU has to offer. So it’s fair to say at the very minimum we need a playoff appearance this year.”

Breiden Fehoko, who was part of the Tigers’ undefeated 2019 national championship team, compared LSU’s situation to that of Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti.

“Curt Cignetti took Indiana to 16-0 in his second year as the head coach for Indiana. In his first year, he made a playoff appearance. You can’t tell me LSU can’t make the playoff this year,” said Fehoko.

Well, Lane Kiffin hasn’t started his first season with LSU yet, but the pressure is certainly on him. However, a poor season would not automatically mean an immediate dismissal, as his hefty buyout, worth 80% of his remaining salary, would make an early exit financially difficult.

Fehoko’s argument stems from the money LSU spent to hire the former Ole Miss head coach and the drama surrounding the move. Last season, Kiffin led Ole Miss to an 11-1 record in the regular season. For the first time in his six years at Oxford, Kiffin was about to have a team in the playoffs. But he left it all to come to Baton Rouge. That meant he no longer believed he could win a national championship at Ole Miss and saw LSU as a path to it. So, the expectations are natural.

But it’s not going to be simple, especially with a grueling SEC schedule. LSU starts the 2026 campaign against Clemson at home, a team that even Brian Kelly defeated last year. The SEC slate is as tough as it can get, with games against Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M, Tennessee, and Ole Miss. The only good thing is that three of these five toughest SEC games are at home. On their part, the Tigers haven’t hesitated to spend big to support their first-year head coach.

“LSU spent a ton on this transfer portal class,” said 247Sports’ Chris Hummer back in February. “This is a $40 million roster or more. It creates immediate championship expectations for Lane Kiffin.”

Since arriving at LSU, Kiffin has wasted no time making significant changes to the team through the transfer portal. The Tigers’ aggressive approach this year has drawn plenty of attention, with multiple reports suggesting that LSU could have the most expensive roster in college football. The Tigers added top portal quarterback Sam Leavitt and elite offensive lineman Jordan Seaton, while also bringing in EDGE Princewill Umanmielen.

Meanwhile, Kiffin and LSU are making a strong push to bring in at least three players recently cut from NFL training camps, who have since secured temporary restraining orders from an East Baton Rouge Parish judge permitting them to compete. That move is currently facing a serious challenge as the SEC has banned former NFL pros from returning to college.

While the pressure is certainly on him, the 51-year-old appears unfazed by the criticism from analysts, as he believes in focusing solely on the game.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Kiffin said when asked about LSU entering playoff contention, per ABC News. “The pressure and the expectations align with how I think. If we don’t win a lot of games, I’m in a really bad place about that, whether the fans are or not.”

LSU is ranked No. 11 in the AP Preseason Top 25 Poll. The Tigers have five SEC teams ahead of them in Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and Oklahoma. They will play three of these next season. With Week 1 just days away, Lane Kiffin is preparing to prove his worth. However, will he be able to take this new team to the zenith?