The LSU-Georgia rivalry has long been defined by a clash of titans mentality, where the Tigers often served as the most dangerous roadblock to Georgia’s dominance. However, the 2026 hiring of Lane Kiffin in Baton Rouge has introduced a volatile new chapter that many critics believe plays right into Kirby Smart’s hands.
RJ Young: Kirby Smart ‘Has to Feel Good’ About Lane Kiffin Running LSU
RJ Young, on his “Adapt & Respond” show, speculated how Smart would have thought about LSU spending $91 million to land Kiffin and a further $40 million on the latest transfer portal class. He didn’t hesitate to imply that Georgia would fancy its chances whenever it clashes with LSU now.
“What I think is funny about this is Kirby Smart has to feel so good about Lane Kiffin running LSU because he knows he can run Lane Kiffin. Otherwise, that might have been a problem because the brand of LSU has been pretty damn good against the brand of Kirby Smart,” Young said.
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“But leave it to LSU to hire the one guy that can put all of that into doubt. And why did they do this? Because they went and fired Brian Kelly in the middle of the season because it got off to a bad start. Didn’t feel like it was getting better, and he wasn’t beloved in Baton Rouge.”
Historically, the LSU-Georgia series is one of the most respected in the SEC, with LSU leading the all-time series 18-14-1. Under Smart, Georgia has reached unprecedented stability, yet LSU has remained the brand most capable of out-talenting the Bulldogs on any given Saturday.
But Kiffin’s teams often lack the disciplined, defensive identity required to dethrone a program like Georgia. Smart’s 2-1 head-to-head record against Kiffin further bolsters the idea that while Lane can win the press conference, Kirby usually wins the trenches. As a result, Kiffin’s hire can be viewed as a double-edged sword.
LSU enters the 2026 season with a roster overhauled by nearly 60 newcomers and a coaching staff largely imported from Oxford. The expectation is an immediate offensive explosion, but the schedule is a gauntlet.
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The Tigers face a brutal September featuring Clemson and a revenge game at Ole Miss, and then head into a November stretch with games against Alabama and Texas. Despite this, PFSN’s CFB Playoff Meter projects that LSU has a 36.9% chance of making the playoffs.
