It’s year three, is it now playoffs or bust for Brian Kelly?
Well we’re officially a fortnight away from the 2024 season beginning. Let’s talk shop.
In your opinion is anything short of a CFP appearance a failure for Brian Kelly and co?
Max
No, it can’t be. LSU’s NIL operation is being revamped as we speak. Their inability to load up in the portal to fill their needs has caused them serious roster issues going into this season. It’s not Kelly’s fault, and LSU is taking the necessary steps to address the problem. I think Brian Kelly’s track record has earned him an extremely long-leash, and the boosters/administrators who’d fire him bear even more responsibility for missing the playoff than he likely would. Kelly’s doing a great job. Getting upset at him now would be like Notre Dame fans getting upset about him for losing to Alabama with academic restrictions.
Poseur
Yes. Of course it is. From here on out, the standard every year is the playoffs. Now, is it “fire the coach” failure? Not after the last two seasons, which were rousing successes, but it would be a debit on the ledger. Kelly has made the appropriate deposits in the bank of goodwill, so he can afford a failure, but he can’t make a habit of it.
Ben
If LSU is one of the first few teams out of the CFP, that will be fine. LSU’s AP preseason ranking would have them out of the Playoff, and I think it’s a fair ranking for how things stand now. The new CFP format requires LSU to be inside the top 10 to get in and the top 7 to be a lock. If LSU finishes the season 10th and misses, that’ll be fine so long as it didn’t come because they dropped a really stupid game (Arkansas or South Carolina).
Saul
No, Kelly could go 10-2 and still see LSU being pipped for a playoff spot, unlikely, but possible. Recent changes in NIL administration and some recruiting wins has the arrow pointing straight up, but remember this is supposed to be a long haul for Kelly and the Tigers. That being paired with a general feeling that the boosters and administrators are in with him makes it unlikely for this season to be a failure short of not getting 8/9 wins.
Dee
I agree with what Will Campbell said a few weeks ago: “It’s year three. It’s time for us to do something, instead of just winning just ten games. Ten games is cool at other schools, not here. Ten games gets people fired.”
Kyle
Kelly is entering his third season with LSU and he’s the seventh highest-paid college football coach. Not only has Kelly missed the playoffs with the Tigers in the last two seasons with a four-team playoff, but he would’ve still missed the mark even if the playoffs were expanded to 12 teams then. Kelly has a good track record, but with the money he is being paid, he needs to bring results.
Zach
Brian Kelly has said to judge him and this LSU program when we get to year three. Well guess what we’re at year three now. I think it’s time. Even though LSU’s only made one College Football Playoff we like to fancy ourselves as an elite program and if you’re in that camp then you have to make an expanded playoff field. Winning the West and beating Alabama is cool. Jayden’s Heisman trophy is gonna live forever. But now it’s time to take that next step.
Evan
I have been hard on Brian Kelly, and last year was unacceptable. It was disrespectful to the history of LSU Football to field a defense that bad. I should be happy that we had our second-best offense ever to still make it a respectable season, but I’m frankly upset for those guys. They deserved better than back-to-back New Year’s Day Florida Bowls. I will have a tough time getting over last year, and nine times out of 10, I would be putting immense pressure on Brian Kelly for a massive turnaround in Year Three. However, I recognize that football teams exist in the context of all in which they live and what came before them. Between the firing of Matt House and the massive 2025 recruiting class, Kelly has done all he reasonably can to erase the stink of 2023’s failures. I will give him grace for this one season. That’s part of “The Path to Greatness” or whatever our new slogan is. I miss One Team, One Heartbeat. I’m not afraid to admit it.