The LSU Tigers entered the 2025 season with championship aspirations and a roster built to compete with the SEC’s best. But after suffering a stunning and disappointing loss to Vanderbilt, those dreams are beginning to unravel. What was once a promising path to the College Football Playoff has suddenly turned into a road full of questions — not just about LSU’s future this season, but about the future of head coach Brian Kelly as well.
It’s not just the loss itself that stings, it’s what it represents. Vanderbilt, a team LSU was expected to handle with relative ease, managed to punch the Tigers in the mouth and expose some of the same concerns that have lingered around Brian Kelly for years. LSU now finds itself with two losses and a brutal SEC schedule ahead. A third loss isn’t just possible, it’s likely. And if that happens, the Tigers will officially go from playoff hopefuls to program in turmoil.
Brian Kelly and the Big Game Stigma
This kind of loss brings with it a dark cloud for Brian Kelly and one that he’s tried to shake for years. The same criticisms that once hovered over James Franklin at Penn State are now creeping into the conversation around Kelly. Despite respectable records and regular season consistency, Kelly has continuously come up short in the big moments, and that pattern appears to be repeating itself in Baton Rouge.
It’s worth noting that Kelly hasn’t had a truly bad season at LSU. He’s won games and kept the Tigers competitive. But the expectations this season were different. LSU brought back a ton of talent, made strong moves in the transfer portal, and looked like a team poised to take the next step. Now, with this loss to Vanderbilt, those dreams are slipping and so is the confidence in Kelly to deliver on the biggest stages.
This defeat also puts added pressure on the rest of the schedule. LSU still has multiple SEC matchups remaining against teams more talented and more dangerous than Vanderbilt. Another loss would push them to three on the season and while that wouldn’t mathematically eliminate them from CFP contention, it would all but kill the momentum and belief needed to keep the team focused and engaged down the stretch.
Could the LSU Job Open Up?
That’s now a real question. Brian Kelly entered the year with warm seat chatter, and it just got a lot hotter. That Week 1 win over Clemson, once considered a statement victory, doesn’t look nearly as impressive now as the Tigers from the ACC have slipped down the rankings.
With LSU’s fanbase growing restless and expectations never dropping below “championship or bust,” the possibility of a coaching change is now on the table. And if the Tigers do decide to part ways with Kelly, it would instantly become one of the most coveted jobs in college football. Big-time talent, deep-pocketed boosters, and national exposure, it’s a job few coaches would turn down.
What This Means for Oklahoma State
The ripple effect of LSU’s struggles may stretch far beyond Baton Rouge. For a program like Oklahoma State, which could also be heading toward a coaching change depending on how things play out in Stillwater, the coaching carousel is suddenly a lot more crowded — and competitive.
If the LSU job opens up, it takes another elite option off the board for schools like Oklahoma State, who may not have the same resources, media spotlight, or path to the expanded College Football Playoff. In a landscape dominated by the SEC and Big Ten, the pecking order matters and Oklahoma State could find themselves near the bottom of the list when vying for top-tier coaching talent.
Ironically, if Brian Kelly is let go, he could become a candidate for Oklahoma State. He checks many of the boxes that athletic director Chad Weiberg is believed to be targeting: veteran leadership, program-building experience, and the ability to attract high-level talent. Kelly’s brand may be bruised right now, but in the right situation, especially at a school with slightly less pressure and expectations than LSU, he could find success again.
A Wild Second Half Ahead
The loss to Vanderbilt isn’t just a headline, it’s a possible domino. LSU is teetering, Brian Kelly is in trouble, and the coaching landscape across the country is beginning to shift. If more SEC and Big Ten jobs open up the pressure on programs like Oklahoma State grows. More competition, fewer options, and higher stakes.
As the season barrels into its second half, the heat is rising not only on the field but in athletic departments across the country. If Brian Kelly can’t stop the bleeding, it won’t just cost him his job — it could reshape the entire coaching carousel heading into 2026.