The past three years have seen the SEC in decline, with the Big Ten dominating the playoffs and national championships. This season has been no different. SEC powerhouses Georgia and Alabama tasted the dust as Miami and Indiana rose to the forefront. However, there is hope for the future. A $91 million head coach may end that three-year-long spell.

Paul Finebaum believes that Lane Kiffin can lead the SEC to prominence once again. “He’s not far from the top. Some of this may just be baked into the cake,” he shared in a conversation with ESPN on Tuesday. “He did a phenomenal job at Ole Miss. I think that will travel to Baton Rouge, which should be an easier program to build a national championship contender.”

LSU already boasts four national championships in its glorious history. With Kiffin’s arrival, both Baton Rouge and the SEC may expect light at the end of the tunnel. It’s been a long time since the SEC has dominated the Power 4. Florida, LSU, Auburn, and others had brief periods of dominance.

Alabama reigned for nearly two decades under Nick Saban’s leadership. He won six national championships at Tuscaloosa. But the Georgia Bulldogs were the last of the SEC teams to hoist the national championship in 2022.

Kiffin went to LSU because he believed he couldn’t reach the mountaintop at Ole Miss. That decision almost proved to be wrong, as Ole Miss was one play away from making it to the national championship game. Even then, the Tigers’ head coach would have relied on the history of the program.

“I think he can do the exact same thing in Baton Rouge, where a lot of coaches, except Brian Kelly, three in a row have won national championships,” Finebaum shared when LSU pursued him aggressively. “Lane Kiffin will win a national championship in Baton Rouge.”

In the current landscape, national championship aspirations are pursued through the portal. Gone are the days of Dabo Swinney refusing to enter the portal and still producing results. Both Indiana and Miami built a considerable part of their roster through transfers, and Lane Kiffin is doing the same.

Lane Kiffin bags the No. 1 portal class

Ed Orgeron brought LSU its last national championship in 2020. Since then, the Tigers’ chaotic head coaching carousel has added little to lead the program to such prowess once again. But Kiffin’s arrival at Baton Rouge promises a bright future.

And there’s a process to his madness. An offensive acumen, combined with his ability to land elite talent. He brought Trinidad Chambliss from Ferris State and developed Jaxon Dart and Matt Corral for the NFL trenches. These two were mistake-prone QBs, with turnovers a major issue in their early college careers. However, under Kiffin’s watchful eye, they improved and went on to the NFL ranks.

Now, he has already bagged the No. 1 Sam Leavitt and Husan Longstreet to Baton Rouge, along with landing nine wide receivers to strengthen the offensive machinery. The WR corps includes Eugene Wilson, Tre Brown, and Jackson Harris, among others. According to 247Sports, LSU now boasts the No. 1 transfer portal class, and Kiffin won’t be slowing down anytime soon. 

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Now, determined to carve his legacy at LSU, Kiffin is already clocking hours to make it happen.