LSU head coach Lane Kiffin used Auburn as an example of how the NIL era of college football has changed the way the sport unfolds these days. Specifically, Kiffin talked about the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry upset of Georgia in October.
Kiffin was asked if LSU would continue responding well to losses, given its current 66-6 scoring advantage in games it is coming off a loss this season.
"But I think you see that a lot in sports, especially in football this year. We kind of used to be old-school. You'd want the team you're playing the following week to lose because you'd say, 'Oh man, then they're down and they got problems and everything.' I kind of think the other way nowadays," Kiffin said this week ahead of his team's tussle with Texas at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Saturday.
"Just like we were happy when Auburn beat Georgia, I don't know what has changed with kids nowadays, but I think a lot of times you're seeing teams actually rebound much better than they handle success. You see a lot of these games that don't make sense to you on paper if you look at the week before."
Reading between the lines, it seems like Kiffin is questioning Georgia's mental makeup. The Bulldogs were coming off a win at Alabama the previous week.
As for Auburn, it was coming off a loss to Tennessee and its bye week before pulling off the biggest SEC upset of the season in Athens. The following week, Kiffin's team went to Jordan-Hare Stadium and laid an embarrassing beatdown on Auburn.
Auburn gave college football an 'Any Given Saturday' moment vs. UGA
Weeks later, we're still hearing about that 27-24 win at Sanford Stadium. After the way Georgia dominated Ole Miss this past weekend, it's unfathomable, in hindsight, how Auburn actually won that game.
That's what makes college football such a beautiful sport. It's what makes the 2026 season a special year for Alex Golesh in year one.
It's what saved the season on the Plains, frankly. A winless October would've been disastrous.
Kiffin probably brought up that win, knowing many would look up how Auburn followed it up. Still, defeating the Dawgs will forever make this season special.
"Any Given Saturday" is actually a true statement sometimes. It was on October 17, 2026, and we'll always remember how true it was that day.
Add us as a preferred source on Google