LSU fans were willing to give Lane Kiffin and his team some grace after their first two losses of the season.
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The 32-24 defeat at Ole Miss came in a hostile road environment, as a new-look Tigers team nearly erased a 17-point deficit in the second half. The one-point overtime loss at Kentucky was also on the road, with questions lingering about Kiffin’s decision not to go for it on fourth down late in regulation.
But Saturday’s 31-13 home loss to Alabama was different.
LSU was a 6.5-point favorite, playing its biggest rival in Tiger Stadium, and the Tigers fell apart in the final 18 minutes of game time. The performance has fueled growing frustration among the fan base and raised questions about investing a $40-million into a roster and still not being able to beat Alabama.
Kiffin is trying to make sure that frustration doesn't seep into the locker room.
A motivational message posted on monitors throughout LSU’s football operations building carries the headline: “Welcome to LSU: The Dark Side of the Villain!”
The lengthy message reminds players and staff that criticism comes with playing at LSU. Among its highlights:
“You just experienced something that comes with being at LSU. When you win, everybody loves you. When you lose, everybody has an opinion.”
Another passage tells players that public criticism should not define them.
“Their opinions are not your identity. Their criticism doesn’t define you. Their disappointment doesn’t diminish you. And their noise doesn’t get to determine what happens next.”
Kiffin was asked Monday about the message and what he wants his players to take away from it following their most disappointing loss of the season.
“This is what happens when you lose, and the basketball hoop is stupid, you shouldn’t have a little kid on a smoke machine. I just know all that comes when you lose. When you win, it’s cool, and that’s all part of it. Just making sure not to listen to that.”
The basketball hoop and smoke machine are among the more unconventional elements Kiffin has brought to the LSU game-day experience. He has also made headlines by walking down Victory Hill alongside celebrities, including actor Kevin Costner.
After an 18-point home loss, some fans are questioning whether those distractions are appropriate. Kiffin, however, insists they have nothing to do with the team's performance.
“It doesn’t have to do with winning or losing games,” Kiffin said. “We had one (celebrity) every game at home so far. Who walked in wasn’t the reason we didn’t execute in the red zone.”
Red-zone execution will be one of the biggest keys Saturday when the 24th-ranked Tigers host eighth-ranked Texas.
The Longhorns are 7-2 and coming off an impressive 34-20 victory over Missouri. LSU, meanwhile, is trying to regroup after being thoroughly outplayed by Alabama.
Interestingly, Kiffin believes coming off a loss could actually work in his team's favor, especially with Texas arriving in Baton Rouge after a big win.
“The week before they played, you used to want them to lose, because you would say they are down and they got problems and everything. I kind of think the other way nowadays,” Kiffin said. “I don’t know if kids have changed nowadays, but really I think you are seeing a lot of teams actually rebound a lot better than they handle success.”
LSU desperately needs that to be the case.
A victory over a highly ranked Texas team would help restore some confidence in the program and keep the Tigers' College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Another disappointing performance, however, would only intensify the questions surrounding Kiffin and whether the excitement that accompanied his arrival in Baton Rouge is beginning to fade.
