'Extremely Cerebral' Lane Kiffin Praised as 'A Savant' with Traits of 'Mad Scientists' by CFB Expert

NBC Sports college football analyst Yogi Roth heaped heavy praise on LSU head football coach Lane Kiffin this week.

Speaking to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, Roth recalled the time he spent as part of USC's coaching staff with Kiffin. Roth was a graduate assistant and then quarterbacks coach from 2005 to 2009, while Kiffin was USC's co-offensive coordinator from 2005 to 2006 before becoming head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2007.

"He always just had a great poise about him," Roth said. "To me, he's extremely cerebral. I think it probably shocks people that he's not a loud, brash personality. People sometimes talk about coordinators as these mad scientists; he has that part to him. To this day, I vividly remember him in his office [at] 5 a.m. Lights down. Film up. Constantly scheming.

"Because Lane is so outspoken at times, and such a hot topic of conversation, people forget that he's a savant when it comes to football. I think it's as simple as that."

Aside from his brilliance as it relates to X's and O's, Kiffin is also known for his cool demeanor.

An anonymous former Alabama assistant, who was part of the coaching staff during Kiffin's tenure as offensive coordinator from 2014 to 2016, addressed that aspect of Kiffin's personality as well.

"I think Lane's got that carefree swagger, where the teams play loose," the assistant said. "It really showed up at Ole Miss when he first got there. But whether it's bringing out celebrities or having the basketball goal on the sideline, it's just, let's be loose and free, and he has that aggressive side to get them going."

After going 55-19 in six seasons as the head coach at Ole Miss, Kiffin is looking to enjoy even more success in that same role at LSU.

The Tigers could not have gotten Kiffin's tenure off to a better start, as they decimated Clemson 51-10 in their season opener and followed it up with a 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech.

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For all of Kiffin's success as a head coach and assistant, he has never been the head coach for a team in the College Football Playoff.

That would have changed last season had Kiffin not decided to take the LSU head coaching job when he did. With Kiffin about to leave, Ole Miss named Pete Golding its new head coach and allowed him to coach during the CFP, leading the Rebels all the way to the semifinals.

Kiffin will have a chance to make a statement Saturday when he takes the No. 7 Tigers on the road to face his old team in No. 8 Ole Miss at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi.