This ESPN analyst just said what every LSU fan is thinking.
LSU Legend Issues Blunt Reality Check to Brian Kelly Ahead of 2025 Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The pressure is building in Baton Rouge as the LSU Tigers prepare to kick off a season that many fans believe should culminate in a College Football Playoff berth, at the very least.
Brian Kelly, now in his fourth year as head coach of the Tigers, faces mounting expectations after back-to-back double-digit win seasons but no national championship appearance.
Former LSU star Marcus Spears, now an analyst for ESPN, sounds the alarm. Appearing on "Get Up," Spears didn’t mince words when he described what Kelly is walking into this fall.
According to the former first-round draft pick from 2005, who played nine years in the NFL, anything less than a massive season could trigger a sharp shift in public support.
Spears, who played defensive line for LSU from 2001 to 2004 and helped the Tigers win a national title under Nick Saban, says the standards in Baton Rouge are no longer measured by 10-win seasons.
“LSU is in that window now,” Spears said. “If you don’t win big, this fan base is done.”
Will Anything Less Than a National Championship Be Considered a Failure?
Spears pointed to Kelly’s 2022 SEC West title, which LSU captured in his first season, but noted fans didn’t fully embrace it because it was a team he inherited and because of a regular-season loss to Texas A&M.
Last season, the Tigers finished 9-4 and watched Georgia and Texas compete in the SEC Championship Game.
"If you don't win big, if you're Brian Kelly, this fan base is done. ... If they're on the outside looking in, in the playoffs, this fan base is going to turn quickly on Brian Kelly."
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 5, 2025
—@mspears96 on expectations for LSU this season pic.twitter.com/OFMa4ipKIm
Spears argued that the recent recruiting success, strong transfer portal additions, and preseason Heisman buzz surrounding quarterback Garrett Nussmeier only raise expectations further.
According to Spears, LSU’s fan base already feels like it has waited long enough. And while Kelly has done plenty to stabilize the program after Ed Orgeron’s departure, Spears believes that goodwill could vanish fast if the Tigers fall short of playoff contention again.
Is Brian Kelly on the Hot Seat?
While it might be premature to label Kelly’s job status as unstable, the tone from Spears suggests that patience is wearing thin. Kelly arrived at LSU in 2022 after a decade at Notre Dame, bringing a resume that included multiple playoff appearances but no national titles.
His decision to leave South Bend for Baton Rouge came with the promise of access to elite resources and high expectations.
Entering Year 4, LSU is stocked with blue-chip talent and led by a quarterback many expect to explode in 2025. That has left no room for regression. Spears noted that LSU’s history shows this kind of alignment — roster talent, quarterback hype, and SEC opportunity — typically results in championship-caliber seasons.
If that doesn’t materialize, Spears says the pivot point will be swift. “I’m telling y’all what I know, not what I think,” Spears said.
The message was clear: Kelly may be running out of time to turn all that potential into something the LSU faithful care about: a championship.
Every result this season will be judged against the massive bar that’s been set by LSU's past. The Tigers open the season under a microscope in a huge road matchup against Clemson on Aug. 30.
Related: “Don’t Matter Anymore”: Paul Finebaum’s Blunt Verdict on College Football Tradition
Related: Paul Finebaum Calls Out SEC Powerhouse Snubbed in Preseason Coaches Poll
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
