Lane Kiffin falls flat against Alabama as massive LSU hype crashes into reality

When Lane Kiffin got off the bus for the Tiger Walk before the Alabama game, he was flanked by Shaquille O'Neal and Angel Reese. Kevin Costner -- Kevin freaking Costner! -- walked behind him and shook his hand.

No one has brought more attention and hype to a college football program this year than Kiffin. He signed a seven-year, $91 million contract, tied with two-time national champion Kirby Smart for the second-highest in college football. According to 247Sports, his roster is the most expensive in college football, approaching $50 million.

And then, Alabama walked into the building. The Field of Dreams turned into a nightmare.

No. 14 LSU collapsed under the weight of expectation against No. 5 Alabama, losing 31-13 in blowout fashion. After taking a 13-10 lead in the third quarter, the Tigers allowed 21 unanswered points for Kiffin's sixth straight loss against the Crimson Tide.

With the loss, LSU sits at 6-3 and 0-3 against teams in the CFP Rankings. Their most impressive performance is arguably a one-point loss to No. 6 Kentucky on the road. While Kiffin has raised LSU's floor, putting unranked teams into the dirt, he has no-showed against real national competition.

In every high-leverage moment, Alabama smoked LSU. The Tide held LSU to a field goal after first-and-goal. They forced a missed field goal, then set up a touchdown from great field position. LSU turned it over on downs three times, including twice in the fourth quarter, and turned the ball over twice.

And what makes matters worse is that Kiffin's signature offense was completely outdueled by Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. Statistically, LSU managed to put up 457 yards, but the numbers go deeper. They finished in the 19th percentile for yards per play, 20th percentile for EPA per play and 1st percentile for Explosive Play Rate, according to Game on Paper.

Essentially, LSU didn't do anything to truly force Alabama's defense to adjust. That's a hard pill to swallow when you've built your career on being an offensive savant.

Kiffin had a great run at Ole Miss, elevating the program to new heights, especially by working with the Grove Collective to improve their NIL operation. With his roster left behind, Pete Golding led Ole Miss to the national semifinals last year. Kiffin has still never actually coached a postseason game, a streak that will likely continue this year.

LSU still has two more shots against No. 7 Texas and No. 13 Tennessee for ranked wins, but the Tigers team that shows up against elite teams simply isn't good enough to win both games. If they split the result, LSU would finish 8-4 with a 1-4 record against CFP Top 25 opponents.

After the season, most of the best players on the roster will be gone to the NFL. Kiffin will have to start all over again, building through the transfer portal. For the first time since 2016, the top two recruits in Louisiana are heading out of state. Adding insult to injury, No. 3 quarterback Elijah Haven -- a Baton Rouge native -- picked Kalen DeBoer and the Tide over Kiffin.

Kiffin walked into Baton Rouge with an unbelievable amount of hype, landing Vanity Fair covers and dominating the interview circuit. When he got the job, Louisiana senator John Kenny joked, all of this nonsense is worth it -- but he better win.

Well, Kiffin isn't winning. And after yet another embarrassing loss to Alabama, he could be heading for a painful offseason.