Have Lane Kiffin and LSU become college football’s top villain?

Texas Tech certainly has an argument for that top spot, but with some of Kiffin’s recent actions, the Bayou Bengals just might be the rightful owners of that moniker now.

Kiffin has recently spent time attempting to add multiple players who spent time in NFL training camps this summer to his roster, and the reaction from across the country has been a unified one. The SEC responded by implementing a new rule that prohibits former NFL players from returning to the football team of any member institution.

Not only is Kiffin trying to add former NFL players to his roster, but a report from CBS Sports says that “Kiffin and the Tigers reached out to multiple players on NFL rosters or their representation in an effort to get them to bring a lawsuit against the NCAA and return to school.” CBS Sports also reports that LSU has “had conversations with others who remain in NFL camps ahead of the league’s cut day on Aug. 30.” So, it sounds like Kiffin instigated this entire mess.

With all of this taking place less than two weeks out from LSU’s season opener against Clemson, it may have added a new dynamic to one of the biggest out-of-conference matchups of week one. One of good vs. evil, so to speak.

Dabo Swinney has long been known for his strong moral compass. The longtime head coach runs his program in a much different manner. Make no mistake, some on the outside looking in have been overly critical at times with how Swinney chooses to do things, but very few have questioned his integrity. And the few that have generally did it out of spite behind the anonymity of a username on some message board.

Depending on how the LSU roster is put together, it’s possible those late NFL additions could have resulted in players who went through the spring, summer and fall camp with the team being outright cut. To be clear, we can’t know that for certain without knowing how many spots of the 105 have been used up already. LSU could have been under that number, and in that case, no one would have been cut.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart summed it up quite well on Tuesday, not long before the new SEC rule against adding former NFL players was officially announced.

“The opportunities presented to the guys on our team is important to me,” Smart said.

“They’ve earned those opportunities through an offseason, through a summer program, through a really tough fall camp.”

At Clemson, Swinney has a “till graduation do we part” philosophy. He just doesn’t cut guys. It’s not always the most popular philosophy with a faction of his own fan base, but it’s part of the reason why the head coach has been able to build such a strong culture inside his program.

Swinney also insists that high school recruits earn their offers from Clemson. At the very least, those high school prospects have to show a genuine interest in the Tigers before an offer goes out. It’s why Clemson routinely offers far fewer players than basically every other Power-4 program each year.

Want a prime example of how Swinney runs his program? Look no further than the recent arrest of Vic Burley for disorderly conduct, which earned him an indefinite suspension. On a misdemeanor charge and despite the Tigers facing some serious depth concerns at defensive tackle.

However, that strong moral compass already referenced, along with a strong belief in his faith, has made Swinney a target at times, particularly from some in the national media. Some have even attempted to turn him into some type of “bad guy” over the years, although his actions continue to dispel that notion. He is still the only head coach with enough guts to publicly call out a specific school for tampering.

Now it is Kiffin who is seen as the villain by many across the country. After these latest moves by the polarizing LSU head coach, will the nation be mostly unified in wanting to see him and his team go down in week one? Has this turned into a good vs. evil matchup? No matter the answer, it’s safe to assume much of the country will be tuned in, with many rooting against the new evil empire.