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Today: LSU coaching search intel, Nick Saban weighs in, the Week 10 JP Poll, and availability report manipulation.

~7.5 minute read (1,771 words)

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NCAA FOOTBALL

LSU coaching search: Names to know, timelines to watch

LSU fired Brian Kelly on Sunday night, less than 24 hours after dropping to 5-3 with a loss to Texas A&M. The Tigers were 34-14 under Kelly, who made just one SEC conference title game appearance in his first season in Baton Rouge.

The expectation at LSU is simple: Win. Kelly was not able to accomplish that, failing to capture a national title. The 2025 season has been underwhelming after entering the year with College Football Playoff aspirations. The Tigers have the resources and proximity to talent to win immediately with their next head coach.

Hiring timeline

The picture remains cloudy on how the LSU hiring process will be run. The Tigers are in the middle of hiring their next president, and athletic director Scott Woodward released a statement Sunday night about Kelly's firing, calling LSU the "best football program in America." It appears Woodward will make the next hire, but it's unclear how large a role he'll play. LSU's Board of Supervisors and Gov. Jeff Landry held a meeting Sunday night to discuss Kelly's future, with Landry taking an active role in decision-making while the school lacks a president. No search committee has been brought on board yet.

If LSU targets a candidate currently leading a College Football Playoff team, the Tigers may have to wait until early January to make a hire.

Candidate criteria

LSU is viewed as one of the top five jobs in the country, and the school plans to hire from among the sport's elite coaches. Sources told On3 that the ideal candidate is a sitting head coach with a consistent winning track record and someone who knows how to structure and sustain a program. The next head coach must also foster a culture where players believe they can win at LSU. The Tigers expect to compete annually for SEC titles and College Football Playoff berths.

Money matters

This past offseason, LSU invested more than ever in roster construction. Kelly personally put up a $1 million match, with total spending exceeding $18.5 million. When five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood flipped to Michigan, it spurred a surge of NIL dollars for transfer portal reinforcements. The aggressive spending only increased pressure on Kelly to deliver in his fourth season. LSU's willingness to invest and its $10 million-plus salary range make the job one of the most attractive in college football.

Realistic LSU candidates

Lane Kiffin: Has transformed Ole Miss into a perennial College Football Playoff contender through elite transfer portal recruiting and player development.
James Franklin: Went 104-45 in 12 seasons at Penn State and is one of the most experienced and respected coaches on the market.
Marcus Freeman: Holds a 38-12 record and has built a disciplined, competitive program, though prying him from South Bend could be difficult.

Read the latest on the LSU search from Pete Nakos.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Is LSU the best job in America? Nick Saban says it depends.

Nick Saban knows better than anyone how quickly the definition of a great coaching job can change. He turned LSU into a national power after taking over in 2000, then built one of the greatest dynasties in college football history at Alabama. When asked where LSU ranks among the sport's top jobs today, Saban's answer carried a familiar mix of insight and blunt honesty.

"That's changed dramatically, the whole question of what constitutes the best job," Saban told On3. "What used to make a job great was facilities, fan support, good academic support, recruiting base, and being able to create value for the players. Now that has been minimized to, 'How much money do you have to spend on building a roster?' That is the most important thing by far."

When Saban first arrived in Baton Rouge, LSU had suffered nine losing seasons in the previous eleven years. By 2003, he had completely reversed the program's trajectory, winning a national title and laying the groundwork for Les Miles and Ed Orgeron to follow with championships of their own. LSU's ability to win under three different coaches proved the job's potential, but Saban said those advantages mean less in today's college football landscape.

Should Lane Kiffin leave Ole Miss?

In 2025, he explained, the conversation has shifted from facilities and fan bases to financial firepower and roster control. The question now is not how much a school has, but how much it is willing to spend to compete at the highest level.

"He has some guys over there at Ole Miss that give him pretty much whatever he wants from a roster standpoint. He may not necessarily have the same thing at Florida or LSU. So you look at these jobs differently now... Are they willing to invest what you have to invest now to win? Because a lot of people don't believe in this shit." —Saban

Saban stressed that he is not opposed to players being paid. His frustration lies with the system itself, which he believes has reshaped the sport and blurred the line between college and professional football. Collectives, boosters, and roster spending have created an environment where development and culture are often overshadowed by money.

"It gets down to not just who has the money, because a lot of these traditional schools have people who have money, but who is going to spend the money to get these players and how long are they willing to keep spending it?" Saban asked. "That's the truth of it, whether me or anybody else likes it."

Don't miss the full story from Chris Low.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Josh Pate's JP Poll: Week 10 edition

October is in the books, and the final stretch of the 2025 college football season is here. Josh Pate's latest JP Poll shows some major movement after Week 9, with Texas A&M and Ole Miss surging while Oregon, Missouri, and LSU took the biggest hits. The JP Poll reflects Pate's power ratings rather than traditional rankings, measuring how teams would stack up on a neutral field.

1. Ohio State (–)

The Buckeyes held steady at No. 1 through their bye week. With Penn State on deck, Ohio State enters November fully in control of its playoff destiny. The only ranked opponent remaining on the schedule is Michigan, setting up another classic in late November.

2. Indiana (–)

Indiana remains second after blasting UCLA 56-6. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw for three touchdowns while the Hoosiers piled up 262 rushing yards. Curt Cignetti's team has yet to flinch, and the road to another Big Ten title game appearance runs through Maryland this weekend.

3. Texas A&M (+5)

The Aggies are this week's biggest riser, jumping five spots into the Top 5. A dominant win at LSU kept Texas A&M undefeated heading into November. Quarterback Marcel Reed continues to shine as both a passer and runner, while a bye week in Week 10 gives the Aggies time to reset before Missouri.

4. Alabama (–)

Alabama stayed at No. 4 after narrowly surviving South Carolina. Ty Simpson threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns to extend the Crimson Tide's win streak to seven. A bye week now sets up a huge home clash with LSU in Week 11.

Biggest slide: Oregon, Missouri, LSU (–4)

Three programs took identical four-spot drops in the latest poll. Oregon fell despite a 21-7 win over Wisconsin, hurt by an inconsistent offensive showing in sloppy conditions and Dante Moore's injury. Missouri slid to No. 16 after losing at Vandy, struggling for rhythm on offense, and also losing QB Beau Pribula in the process. LSU, meanwhile, plummeted to No. 19 after a blowout loss at home to Texas A&M and Sunday's firing of Brian Kelly, signaling major upheaval in Baton Rouge.

See the full JP Poll Top 20.

🚨Headlines

NCAA FOOTBALL

Coaches are manipulating availability reports with little enforcement from conferences

Disingenuous. Manipulative. Ridiculous. Those are among the words being used to describe college football coaches' refusal to follow the new player availability rules.

Beginning this season, every FBS conference began requiring schools to release player availability reports before games. But violations are already common, with Utah's handling of quarterback Devon Dampier standing out as the latest example.

Dampier was listed as "questionable" midweek, upgraded to "probable" on Friday, and then removed from the report entirely 90 minutes before kickoff against Colorado. He did not start or play, still sidelined by an ankle injury. "It's very disingenuous," ESPN sideline reporter Stormy Buonantony said, noting Dampier was available only as an emergency backup. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said afterward that Dampier remains the starter, offering no explanation for his removal from the report.

VSIN host Jonathan Von Tobel called Whittingham's approach "outright manipulative," pointing out it was not his first offense. Earlier this season, Dampier started against Texas Tech despite not practicing all week with the same injury. Still, no repercussions have come from the Big 12.

USC faced a $5,000 Big Ten fine earlier this month for playing a running back listed as "out." Other conferences have been even more lenient. The SEC's policy carries potential fines up to $100,000 for repeat violations, but no coach has been punished under it.

Further change must come

"Until there are real penalties, it won't matter," a Power Conference athletic director told On3. "Nobody will take this seriously." Another AD added that the only way to ensure compliance is to tie violations to revenue-share penalties, as the NFL does. Pro teams can lose draft picks or face $75,000 fines for inaccurate reports.

Coaches' paranoia over revealing injuries predates legalized sports gambling, and deception remains a long-standing part of the sport. From Oklahoma State's secret 2015 quarterback change to Oklahoma hiding CeeDee Lamb's concussion in 2019, history is filled with examples of concealment.

Still, some coaches stand apart. Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham and Texas Tech's Joey McGuire have been praised for transparency, each openly disclosing quarterback injuries rather than playing "the guessing game."

As one industry source put it, until the rules have teeth, honesty in college football injury reporting will remain optional.

Read the full column from Brett McMurphy.

TRIVIA

Now here's a guy...

Below, you'll find 3 facts about a random college football player. You'll try to guess who the player is based on the facts. Let's go.

After initially committing to play basketball at Pitt, I was Rivals' No. 3 overall recruit in the 2008 class and became one of the most coveted recruits in history.
I led Ohio State to multiple Big Ten titles and earned Rose Bowl MVP honors after defeating Oregon.
My college career ended amid NCAA sanctions, and I entered the NFL Supplemental Draft, where I later became a 1,000-yard receiver for the Browns.

Answer at the bottom.

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