Paul Finebaum considers the possibility of Lane Kiffin leaving for LSU if Brian Kelly is fired

Brian Kelly was showered by jeers from his own fanbase as the fourth-year LSU head coach left the field following Saturday’s 49-25 home loss to No. 3 Texas A&M. It was the Tigers’ (5-3, 2-3 SEC) third straight loss to a ranked SEC opponent and effectively doomed any chance LSU had of making the College Football Playoff this season.

It’s gotten so untenable in Baton Rouge that a “Fire Brian Kelly” chant rang out from the LSU student section inside Tiger Stadium as the downtrodden Tigers exited the field Saturday night. Kelly was even forced to address his job status at LSU after the game, though hardly provided a full-throated defense when he made it clear “that’s not my decision in terms of whether I’m here or not.”

Given the rekindled hot seat under Kelly, and the growing list of elite head coach openings that now includes both Florida and Penn State, ESPN firebrand Paul Finebaum only stoked the flames Sunday when he suggested highly-coveted Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin could be an option in Baton Rouge if LSU ultimately decides to move on.

Of course, while still gainfully employed in Oxford, the 50-year-old Kiffin remains the overwhelming favorite among Gators boosters and fans to replace the recently-fired Billy Napier in Gainesville. But, if given the option between Florida and LSU, there’s no question where Finebaum believes Kiffin will lean.

Paul Finebaum: ‘LSU is a better job than Florida’ if Lane Kiffin opts to leave Ole Miss

“I’ll just make it simple, LSU is a better job than Florida. Florida has been devalued. I talked to (Tim) Tebow about that yesterday, and most of what you talk about with Florida is in the past. I mean, they have fired four straight coaches,” Finebaum said Sunday morning on The Matt Barrie Show podcast. “And LSU is a lot different than that. Yeah, they fire a few coaches now and then, but they usually pay it off, and they’re capable of doing that. It’s just a completely different world. Kiffin’s quirky, and would he fit LSU? Probably would. He maybe fits that mindset a little better. Florida is a collection of a lot of different interests and politics, where LSU, if you win, you’re going to be OK at LSU.”

Obviously, Kiffin currently has such a situation in Oxford, where he’s brought the Rebels to unprecendented heights they haven’t experienced since the days of legendary coach Johnny Vaught. That includes notching Kffin’s first road win over a Top 25-ranked opponent, and bringing Ole Miss on the precipice of securing the program’s first-ever Playoff appearance following Saturday’s 34-26 win at No. 13 Oklahoma.

“Listen, winning at Oklahoma is a big deal. … That’s one of the biggest wins he’s had. Now last year at home against Georgia probably meant a little more and then he threw it away. (But Kiffin is) in really good shape. I think he’s in the Playoff now, it’s just a matter of how he negotiates the rest of the season,” Finebaum added. “And … not to start more speculation, but Lane Kiffin to LSU, that resonates equal or even more than the (Florida opening). The good news for Ole Miss fans, (in addition to) the fact that Ole Miss is in the Playoff, but the portal window is late this year, which makes it palatable that you can get two games in before the window opens, and that’s a big, big deal.”

Whether or not a deep Playoff run for Ole Miss ultimately factors into Kiffin’s decision-making process regarding potential employment opportunities elsewhere is yet to be seen. But as Finebaum suggests, it certainly couldn’t hurt — unless you’re a Florida or LSU fan, of course.