Brian Kelly firmly believes things have changed in college football when it pertains to how you win. Just win, the LSU head coach says. Everything else will take care of itself.
Kelly was asked during the weekly SEC coaches conference call if winning with style matters anymore because of the College Football Playoff, especially with the Playoff now being 12 teams instead of 4.
“I don’t think it does,” said Kelly, who is never one to beat around the bush on anything. “I think the depth of the SEC and conferences takes precedent relative to your schedule. I don’t know putting 70 points on someone does much anymore.”
Kelly asked if he considers style points because of the CFP: I don't think it does. I think the depth of the SEC and conferences takes precident relative to your schedule. I don't know putting 70 pts on someone does much anymore. … #LSU
— Scott Rabalais (@RabalaisAdv) September 25, 2024
RELATED: LSU is still in the CFP picture though the odds took a hit with the season-opening loss to USC. Fans can track all latest odds for the Tigers with SDS’s sports betting apps in Louisiana.
When Kelly was the head coach at Notre Dame, he had the Fighting Irish in the national title picture under a few different playoff landscapes. In 2012, a few years before the Playoff began in 2014, Kelly led the Fighting Irish to the BCS National Championship Game against Alabama. That meant only the top 2 teams made it into 1 championship game, they played the game, and that was it.
Then Kelly led Notre Dame to 2 Playoff appearances in 2018 and 2020 when the CFP was in its original 4-team format.
Now, the Playoff is 12 teams, which means more margin for error, and so maybe style points in winning games doesn’t matter as much as it used to, which is what Kelly is getting at.
After a season-opening loss to USC, Kelly has the Tigers at 3-1 and ranked 14th in the AP Poll going into a Week 5 home matchup with South Alabama.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
