Paul Finebaum Calls One SEC Team the 'Hottest Program in America Hands Down'

SEC Nation analyst Paul Finebaum looks on prior to the game. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The LSU Tigers have been the talk of the offseason, and now they are the talk of Week 1 in college football.

Lane Kiffin Brings New Life to LSU

The Tigers made headlines at the end of last season when they were able to lure former Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin away from Oxford. Kiffin went 55-19 in his six seasons there, including leading the team to their first College Football Playoff appearance last season.

They also made news leading up to the first game after trying to add two players who were on NFL rosters this preseason. The Tigers have won the first stage of that process, but haven't added either player to their roster yet.

But the offseason talk is now over, and Kiffin's team made a major statement, defeating the Clemson Tigers 51-10 in Baton Rouge. This marked the largest loss in the Dabo Swinney era. It also marked just the second opening-game win for LSU since 2019.

LSU Tigers Head Coach Lane Kiffin on the sidelines. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Paul Finebaum Declares LSU the Hottest Program in College Football

That dominant performance caught the eye of ESPN's Paul Finebaum. He said on "Get Up" that LSU is the hottest program in college football and that every recruit will want to play in Baton Rouge.

"Lane Kiffin is the guy in college football," Finebaum said. "Years from now, psychiatrists will be studying last week's preparation because Lane Kiffin didn't prepare. He was too busy fighting the world. Being the villain. What it did, in many respects, was let his team do what they do best: play football... he's made this program the hottest program in America, hands down."

LSU Now Has to Prove It can Sustain the Hype

Finebaum's assessment is certainly a dramatic one, but LSU gave him plenty to work with Saturday. The Tigers looked explosive offensively, physical at the line of scrimmage and overwhelming defensively.

The challenge now is turning one spectacular night into an entire season of success. Clemson was supposed to be one of LSU's biggest early tests, but the Tigers will eventually have to navigate the much more demanding SEC portion of their schedule. That starts with the No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels in two weeks and the No. 8 Texas A&M Aggies the week after that.

The Clemson win gives LSU the kind of opening statement every new coach dreams about. Kiffin has generated attention, expectations and national relevance almost immediately. Now he has to turn all three into sustained success, because the real test of whether LSU is the hottest program in America will come when the Tigers have to prove they can keep winning after the spotlight gets even brighter.