Lane Kiffin falls flat against Alabama as massive LSU hype crashes into reality

When Lane Kiffin got off the bus for the Tiger Walk before the Alabama game, he was flanked by Shaquille O'Neal and Angel Reese. Kevin Costner — Kevin freaking Costner! — walked behind him and shook his hand.

No one has brought more attention and hype to a college football program this year than Kiffin. He signed a seven-year, $91 million contract, tied with two-time national champion Kirby Smart for the second-highest in college football. According to 247Sports, his roster is the most expensive in college football, approaching $50 million.

And then, Alabama walked into the building. The Field of Dreams turned into a nightmare.

No. 14 LSU collapsed under the weight of expectation against No. 5 Alabama, losing 31-13 in blowout fashion. After taking a 13-10 lead in the third quarter, the Tigers allowed 21 unanswered points for Kiffin's sixth straight loss against the Crimson Tide.

With the loss, LSU sits at 6-3 and 0-3 against teams in the CFP Rankings. Their most impressive performance is arguably a one-point loss to No. 6 Kentucky on the road. While Kiffin has raised LSU's floor, putting unranked teams into the dirt, he has no-showed against real national competition.

In every high-leverage…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/