The arrival of Lane Kiffin at LSU will dominate the conversation heading into the 2026 season, but not for the reasons most coaching hires do. This is not about whether he can build a contender. It is about whether he can finish. Kiffin’s track record at Ole Miss leaves little doubt about his ability to elevate a program. Over six seasons, he transformed the Rebels into a legitimate SEC force, going 55-19 with four double-digit win seasons and a breakthrough College Football Playoff appearance in 2025. That kind of sustained success reshaped expectations in Oxford and established Kiffin as one of the most impactful offensive minds in the sport. But his departure complicated that legacy. By accepting the LSU job before the postseason, Kiffin handed the program off at its peak. Ole Miss responded by advancing to the semifinals with wins over Tulane and Georgia before falling to Miami.…