He needs a big year.
Paul Finebaum Names Major College Football Coach Who ‘Needs to Make the Playoffs’ originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The release of the AP Poll on Monday signals that the college football season is getting closer to starting. The top 10 teams in the poll are:
1. Texas Longhorns
2. Penn State Nittany Lions
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
4. Clemson Tigers
5. Georgia Bulldogs
6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
7. Oregon Ducks
8. Alabama Crimson Tide
9. LSU Tigers
10. Miami Hurricanes
Many teams, including the LSU Tigers and their coach Brian Kelly, are aiming to qualify for the College Football Playoff this season and secure a national championship. The Tigers have not made it to the playoffs since 2019, when they won the national championship with Joe Burrow as their quarterback.
When Kelly was hired in 2022, fans hoped that LSU would consistently make it to the playoffs, but that has not happened yet. On "The Paul Finebaum Show," the SEC Network analyst stated that the Tigers need to qualify for the playoffs this season.
"I'm a fan of Coach Kelly, but that really doesn't make any difference," Finebaum said. "He's at the point in his career where he needs a great season, and he needs to get to the playoffs. His first five games, in my mind, are pretty treacherous. There are three possibilities he could lose."
Paul Finebaum Believes LSU Fans Won't Be Patient with Brian Kelly
Finebaum believes that if things go poorly in the first few games, it could end badly for Kelly at LSU. He has stated in the past that the fans will not be patient with him.
“Nobody knows the culture of the fan base better than you two guys,” Finebaum previously said. “They’re not patient and a loss to Clemson, and we talk about that game Saturday night against Florida, and you’ll be able to feel the pressure and tenseness in that stadium.”
In his first season, the Tigers finished with a record of 10-4. They won the SEC West division and advanced to the SEC Championship Game. In his second year, the team recorded a 10-3 record but did not win the SEC West.
Last season, LSU finished with a 9-4 record and again did not win the conference. The Tigers have not made the College Football Playoff during Kelly's tenure.
Brian Kelly's Buyout Makes Firing Him Difficult
If LSU's upper management decides to part ways with Kelly, it would be a challenging decision. He is regarded as one of the top coaches in the sport, and terminating his contract would come with a significant buyout fee. His buyout is set at $51.7 million. This amount will decrease each year, dropping to $42.5 million in 2026, $33.1 million in 2027, $23.4 million in 2028 and finally reaching $13.5 million in 2029.
Paul Finebaum Believes LSU Is a 'No Doubt' College Football Playoff Team
Finebaum believes LSU will retain Kelly, anticipating the Tigers' entry into the College Football Playoff in 2025.
“I like LSU,” Finebaum previously said. “I haven’t wrapped my arms around how far they can go, but I have no doubt this is a playoff team.”
One significant reason for the optimism surrounding LSU is that the team is returning 62% of its overall production, which ranks 38th in the nation. A key player returning this year is star quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who threw for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season.
LSU will start the season with a significant road game against the Clemson Tigers on August 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Related: Paul Finebaum Reverses Course, Saying This SEC Coach is Practically Untouchable
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
