Family Feud

By Jim Gazzolo

The SEC was never going to kick out LSU. 

Not for this. 

Not for Lane Kiffin. 

He’s good television, if nothing else. 

LSU and Kiffin were never going to push the SEC all the way back into the corner either. When push came to shove, both sides backed off enough to move forward…together.

Or at least try to, as best they can. 

The SEC and Commissioner Greg Sankey can tell the world that it forced Kiffin and LSU to not complete their roster with two players who were in pro camps this summer.

Kiffin and LSU can say they had the league shaking in its shoes and got all the attention it wanted for the first full week of college football. In the end, the two sides need each other, and they know it.

Yes, the SEC would survive without LSU, but it won’t be nearly as much fun. Three of the most controversial, outspoken, and headline-making head coaches in college sports live in Baton Rouge. 

And LSU, well, the Tiger brand won’t be the same without the SEC. Going independent sounds very rebellious, but also suicidal. The Tigers aren’t Notre Dame nationally, and the Irish are having trouble getting games, and their days outside of a conference are likely numbered. 

But it sure made for good gossip.

This is why the school brought Kiffin here to win the media coverage. So call this an embarrassment to both parties and a win-win at the same time.

While it really was a lot of hot air over nothing, and a couple of lawyers made a few extra dollars, nothing else came out of all this. College football is still a mess. The only thing settled was, well, nothing really. 

Nobody seems in charge, as the courts make things up as we go along. 

Maybe the SEC had to take a stand to get some control over what is going on. Maybe LSU felt it had to push the button, too.

Either way, this is typical Kiffin: the rebellious teen testing what his parents will let him get away with, and the adults finally putting their feet down.

It’s what LSU knew it was getting when Kiffin was hired. The school also got a 52-10 win over Clemson, which shouldn't get lost in all the nonsense.

It’s also why LSU brought Kiffin to town.

In other words, none of this should be a surprise to anybody, so the rest of us should just sit back and enjoy the show.

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers sports in Southwest Louisiana. He also hosts Poke Nation, which airs weekly on CBS Lake Charles.