The Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin rivalry will be the biggest storyline this 2026 season. Amid the verbal warfare, the eventual winner will be declared with a playoff berth. It seems, for ESPN’s Peter Burns, that team could be the Rebels, not the LSU Tigers.
Why ESPN’s Peter Burns Doubts Lane Kiffin and LSU in 2026
Burns, appearing on “The Next Round,” talked about the new SEC head coaches. Reflecting on a recent conversation with LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker, Burns pointed to a brutal 2026 schedule quirk that could derail the Tigers’ season before it truly begins.
He said, “I was just with Blake Baker a couple days ago at an event, and we’re looking at it and I’m like, ‘Bro, have you seen, like, your schedule?’ One bye week this year, not the two. You’re going to nine conference games.”
Opening against an elite non-conference opponent like Clemson on Sept. 5, LSU immediately jumps into a grueling stretch without a break until late autumn. Compounding the issue is an immediate, high-stakes road trip to Oxford to face Ole Miss on Sept. 19.
“You’re opening against Clemson, and you have, LSU has the latest bye week of any SEC school. So you’re talking about playing eight weeks in a row of a murderer’s row schedule,” Burns continued.
“Like, I mean, the idea that LSU is just going to flip the switch and go 11-1 with a quarterback that didn’t even completely play spring football, I think is troubling.”
Which new SEC coach will have the most success in his first season?@PeterBurnsESPN: “I probably start with Pete (Golding)… The idea that LSU is just gonna flip the switch and go 11-1 with a QB that didn’t even completely play spring football I think is troubling.” pic.twitter.com/KKpdUgNVAH
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) May 18, 2026
While Ole Miss and LSU enter 2026 managing massive roster turnover, their trajectories feel entirely distinct. Kiffin reloaded the Tigers’ roster by bringing in major portal additions, including quarterback Sam Leavitt, offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, and wide receiver Jayce Brown. Despite this, Burns remained cautious about the Tigers.
He concluded, “I think that’s part of the reason why I think even Lane (Kiffin), who can zoom out a little bit, is going, whether or not it’s right that he said this, ‘need a little patience.’ I think the idea that they’re just going to flip the switch and go undefeated or 11-1 isn’t going to work. I would feel better that what we think Ole Miss is going to be is really what Ole Miss is going to be, which I think could be a 10-2 College Football Playoff team.”
Currently, PFSN’s CFB Playoff Meter gives the Rebels a 44% chance to make the College Football Playoff, whereas it is 39% for the Tigers.
