Lane Kiffin's Troubling Bye Week History Raises Questions Ahead of LSU vs Alabama

Lane Kiffin's teams have historically struggled coming off of bye weeks.

LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin during warm ups before Auburn Tigers take on LSU Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Lane Kiffin's LSU Tigers have a bye week for the first and only time during the 2026 regular season, a much-needed respite for a team plagued with injuries to top players such as Whit Weeks, Trey'Dez Green (who recently returned), and others.

An extra week to prepare is usually considered advantageous. But Kiffin's historical results as a head coach after bye weeks raise the question of whether the break actually helps him, particularly against Alabama.

Meanwhile, Kalen Deboer's teams have historically succeeded in games after bye weeks. The comparisons stack up here.

Lane Kiffin

Oct 3, 2026; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin looks on against the McNeese Cowboys during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kiffin's teams have a 9-6 record during post bye-week games. This includes an 0-3 record against Alabama in those games.

This season, Kiffin's team has faced a tough SEC field. The team has had challenges facing top teams, losing to No. 12 Ole Miss in Week 3 and No. 9 Kentucky in Week 6. However, the team had a 31-0 victory against then-No.15 Mississippi State, who was without their starting quarterback and running back.

LSU also faced other SEC foes, in a conference which is known to be difficult to play no matter what team you're facing. The Tigers defeated then-ranked No. 23 Texas A&M 35-6. LSU also defeated Auburn 38-17, who despite being unranked had just come off of beating then-No. 1 Georgia, posing a threat to LSU's playoff hopes.

Kalen DeBoer

Oct 24, 2026; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer is interviewed after the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer's teams have an 8–0 record following byes, including a 4-0 record for the Crimson Tide.

DeBoer's team has also had mixed success this season against ranked teams. The Crimson Tide defeated No. 9 Kentucky 45-17 and defeated then No. 16 Mississippi State 56-23. Alabama also suffered losses to No. 3 Georgia 17-20 and lost to No. 16 Tennessee 10-26, which came in back to back weeks before the bye.

The Tide defeated all of their unranked in-conference foes this season, including South Carolina 49-18 and Texas A&M 31-20.

Both the Tigers and the Crimson Tide are still in the running to make a bid for the SEC Championship. Alabama holds a slight advantage over LSU with a 4-2 record versus the Tigers 3-2 record. The teams are ranked third and tied for fourth in the SEC, respectively.

Alabama and LSU are also both still in the running for the FBS playoffs. The winner of the Nov. 7 matchup will likely trend upward towards a bid, but in these days where top ranked teams lose every week, a three loss team also has a fighting chance to make a playoff appearance.

LSU must take advantage of the Crimson Tide's losing streak. With DeBoer's team having the upper hand in games following bye weeks, the Tigers must prove that they can win against ranked opponents, especially during day games at Tiger Stadium.

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