re: if Lane Kiffin stays at Ole Miss they may soon be the 2nd best team in the west

LSU won the West (2011, 2019) less times than Auburn (2010, 2013, 2017) in the prior decade. It is a testament to the competitiveness of the division though. I don’t think many would have guessed Alabama only won the West half of the seasons in the 2010s.

At any rate, hasty to think Alabama is dropping to 3rd position in the West on a consistent basis any time soon. My reckon Saban may retire in 4-5 years and I don’t think it is an accident that the @WVU game is in 2026. That may be a send-off season for Saban. We also can pretty much assume that Saban is going to recruit top 5 classes until the day he hangs em up. So the next guy will probably do exceptionally well for the first couple of years just due to the roster being stacked.

I think it may be the 2030s before Alabama is safely removed from their perch of being the perennial favorite in the division. I’d almost bet on Alabama’s 2020s in the West being similar to the 2010s…winning around half the division titles.