Lane Kiffin has plenty of complaints, but LSU's latest loss starts with the man in charge

Questionable late-game decisions, officiating complaints and a missed opportunity leave LSU facing a steep climb to the College Football Playoff in Year 1 under Kiffin Poking the SEC in the eye as often as he could this offseason. It's easy to pile on a coach that has brought all of this on himself, coming out of his second loss over his first six games, but it's time for Lane Kiffin to wear this. As college football's top villain, this isn't how it was supposed to look for him in Year 1 at LSU. And now, excuses are beginning to pile up for the Tigers' coach, who harped on officiating after Saturday night's overtime loss at Kentucky.

Bothered by the explanation he received from officials surrounding the Wildcats' successful fourth-and-goal tush push to end the first half, Kiffin said the play should've been blown dead when Kenny Minchey's forward progress appeared to have stopped. "The line (judge) just said, 'Hey, in that situation, there's just too much at stake,'" Kiffin said Sunday. "For forward progress being stopped, you blow the whistle for protection and because that's the rule. Don't blow it because it's such a big play." "The rules are the rules. So, if you see it that way, then see it that way," Kiffin said. "That's my complaint with it.