Pressure is mounting on Brian Kelly at LSU after three seasons without College Football Playoff appearances. Booger McFarland, a former Tigers legend and ESPN analyst, believes it’s time for Louisiana State to re-enter the national title conversation.
During a segment on “Andy and Ari On3,” McFarland had a straightforward response when asked about what a College Football Playoff game at Tiger Stadium would look like.
“You know what? I don’t want to imagine it. I want to see it. That’s what I text BK (Brian Kelly) all the time. Like, it’s time, you know. I don’t want to imagine,” McFarland said.
•
“Every coach that comes to LSU, I tell them all the same thing. I’m loyal to the three letters, not to you. So you’re always going to get honesty from me because I am loyal to my program and loyal because I want to see those kids win and I want to see LSU be successful,” McFarland added.
Brian Kelly made the move from Notre Dame to sign a 10-year, $95 million contract with the Tigers in 2021. Despite this, LSU has yet to reach the College Football Playoff in Kelly’s first three years in Baton Rouge. While they played for the SEC Championship in 2022, they were defeated by Georgia 50-30.
In the 2024 season, Kelly and the Tigers finished with a 9-4 record, securing a victory over the Baylor Bears in the Texas Bowl with a score of 44-31. Despite some talent departures, LSU will have quarterback Garrett Nussmeier returning and is ranked first in 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings.
Brian Kelly’s Support for Notre Dame’s National Championship
Despite the controversy surrounding Brian Kelly’s departure from Notre Dame, the current head coach of LSU had no reservations telling CBS Sports that he will be cheering for the Fighting Irish in the National Championship Game.
“I’m happy for all those guys, I pull for them,” Kelly told CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello. “A lot of the guys there that are on both sides of the ball, I recruited. Obviously I want to see those guys win it all, and I think they’re in a great position. Totally excited for those guys.”
Kelly’s remarks sparked a strong reaction from fans. One point of contention is that when Kelly left South Bend for LSU, he stated his desire to go to “an environment where I have the resources to win a national championship.”
While Kelly and LSU have not reached the CFP in three years, the Fighting Irish are set to face Ohio State in the national title game on Monday night.
During his tenure as the head coach of Notre Dame, Kelly had competitive teams, with the Irish reaching the Championship Game after an undefeated 2012 season. However, they were decisively beaten 42-14 by Alabama.
Edited by Krutik Jain
