Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers have beenfree-falling down the AP Top 25 rankings, dropping 12 spots to No. 22 after their 35-34 overtime loss to Kentucky. The Tigers started the season in dominant fashion after a one-sided win over Clemson in Week 1 but have since lost to Kentucky and Ole Miss, with their record now standing at 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the SEC.
On the College Sports on SiriusXM radio show, former Florida State star Danny Kanell and ESPN’s Roy Philpott discussed which of the current two-loss powerhouses should remain in the AP rankings.
“Oregon should be ranked instead of LSU,” Kanell said. “I would have no problem if neither of them were ranked… You realize that Oregon’s wins, which were not that impressive at that time, when they beat Boise State, but Boise State is ranked now. Their loss to Oklahoma State, which looked disastrous, all of a sudden, that’s a Top 25 loss.”
The Ducks fell 17-15 to the UCLA Bruins but still received votes.
Kanell noted that Oregon’s victories are still holding up, but LSU’s wins, such as the ones against Clemson and Texas A&M, are not as great as many expected. While LSU lost to ranked teams in Ole Miss and Kentucky, the Tigers’ wins are not as strong as those of the teams that Oregon beat over the season.
Lane Kiffin Acknowledges LSU Had the Chance to Win vs. Kentucky
LSU coach Lane Kiffin faced the media after the Kentucky game and admitted the team had plenty of chances to win in the final minutes. He noted that the Tigers could have taken it, but they were unable to do so in the end.
“When the chance comes in the fourth quarter, you can’t let ’em hang around,” he said. “We had the ball ahead and then we turned the ball over. And another chance to end it there so they don’t get it back. Obviously, things go the other way, you look at yourself first.”
Kentucky had missed what would have been a game-tying field goal late in the game. It gave LSU a chance to take the lead, but the Tigers turned the ball over instead, and the Wildcats managed to steal the win at home in Lexington.
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