"I'm not a huge believer in Brian Kelly": CFB insider sounds off on LSU coach as hot seat rumors intensify

Brian Kelly is under heavy scrutiny as he heads into his fourth season as the coach of LSU. The last three years had been quite tumultuous for the veteran coach, as he couldn't make a real impact or live up to the fan expectations. Above all, the team could not make the playoff.

In the last five years, LSU lost its opening weekend games, something that dented the Tigers' prominence in the SEC. Michael Bratton of the SEC podcast, who recently appeared on the "Paul Finebaum show," said that he is not buying the hype around LSU or Kelly to make the postseason.

The strength of schedule puts LSU under the most pressure. They will face Clemson in the opening weekend, which will be a tough matchup for Garrett Nussmeier and Co., as Dabo Swinney is equally desperate to make a mark in the ACC. Bratton lists Texas, Alabama and Georgia to make the playoff from the SEC, while calling off LSU’s chances to win the fourth spot.

“Everybody's got that eye on LSU, right? But not me. I'm not a huge believer in Brian Kelly. All they do is lose week one every year, and I think this is the toughest season opener to date at Clemson,” Bratton said to Paul Finebaum on Saturday (Timestamp - 6:00).

“I think Florida beats LSU and Baton Rouge week three. And then we got to start the 'Who's going to be the next coach at LSU?' talk. So, again, I don't think they're going to dismiss Brian Kelly week three of the season, but I think that'll be the beginning of the narrative if he's losing to Billy Napier in the third week of the season at home. So, I don't have LSU there.

"I think three teams to keep your eye on probably that last spot in the college football playoff. I think the SEC only gets four. I think it'll come from Texas A&M, Oklahoma or Florida, one of those three. And right now, I would probably lean towards Texas A&M, believe it or not.”

Garrett Nussmeier will have a tough task to pull Brian Kelly off the hot seat list

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is returning for one more season in Baton Rouge to end his college career on a high note. Last season, he racked up 4,059 yards and scored 29 touchdowns while throwing 12 interceptions. One more troublesome season, and Brian Kelly is off the head coaching job.

LSU has some tough opponents this season, like they will have Florida in Week 3, Ole Miss in Week 5, Texas A&M in Week 8 and Alabama in Week 9. Nussmeier's leadership will matter the most. If things go as planned, Kelly would be looking to record a 10-win season in 2025.