Would LSU’s first-year head coach Lane Kiffin be able to lead the Tigers to a title run in 2026? That question has been making headlines for the last few months. Regardless, Ed Orgeron said he saw something at LSU he had never seen before. Lane Kiffin’s first months in Baton Rouge have brought a sharper routine, tighter standards, and a locker room where being late is no longer part of the culture.

“Believe me, Coach Kiffin is an expert on it (NIL),” said Orgeron at SEC Media Days, as reported by Louisiana First News’ Brendon Fairbairn on July 21. “I was so happy to see that. Everything is, ‘Yes, sir.’ Everything is a practice, like the Tigers. Behind the line, nobody misses workouts. Nobody is late. Everybody works extra. He’s got a phenomenal culture he has built within six months he’s been here.”

That is the kind of detail that tells you a locker room has changed before the standings do, and why there’s a solid chance of LSU remaining in title contention. Kiffin’s arrival in Baton Rouge brought a cultural shift and made LSU’s locker room more disciplined and serious about practice and workouts. That only helps a player to show his full potential on the field. And this kind of change Orgeron witnessed for the first time at LSU.

Orgeron coached LSU from the 2000s through 2019, winning a national title at the end of his tenure. So his looking surprised by Kiffin’s six months of action with the Tigers told a lot about the ex-Ole Miss coach’s capability. But we have to understand another perspective: money comes with standards. LSU invested around $40M to stack top-tier portal talent. Then, building a title-caliber roster for this season, the program spent over $40M. The Tigers got huge help from donors to make such an investment.

With that, the pressure to lead LSU to a title run in his debut season is mounting on Kiffin. So such cultural change had to happen. In fact, following a rocky season, LSU brought in Kiffin and was ready to sign a $91M contract considering his prowess. Kiffin knows how to convert talent into game wins. Last season, he helped Ole Miss in its first-ever CFP appearance.

This season, he has talents like Sam Leavitt and all the tools to make LSU a legitimate title contender. But with an overhauled offensive system, attaining that success may not be possible, according to Justin Williams.

“I realize Lane Kiffin had a ton of success at Ole Miss, and he kind of had a similar blueprint, right, where he kind of raided the portal year in and year out,” said Williams on July 17. “But I don’t have LSU as a playoff team. I wouldn’t be stunned if they made it. If they do, I think it’s because the defense is going to be really good. But I think they’re going to miss that cut. Maybe like an 8-4 type team.”

Lane Kiffin is also unsure about LSU’s first-season success. “I don’t know how fast it’s going to happen, but we’re going to win a national championship,” said the head coach. That confidence adds to the pressure around LSU’s spending.