Lane Kiffin showed up to Tiger Park at LSU ready to compete when the Pardon My Take podcast challenged him and his LSU softball team to a game on May 26. Things did not go entirely to plan, and Kiffin ended up in the middle of a moment he admitted he had no one to blame but himself.

During the game, Kiffin made an error at third base. He was asked about it on camera right after, and he did not dodge the question.

"I'm really disappointed in myself, but it's really easy to do it," Kiffin said. "It's a good lesson, man. You got to stay focused. I was talking to somebody else, messing around, big chatting, and there it is. I mean, I'm like 99% fielding percentage, but you can't take a play off."

The podcasters won the game 13-7, and one of them was not shy about it afterward.

"It's not hard to beat Lane Kiffin." One podcaster said postgame. "Just pitch him junk. He's going to swing at everything."

Kiffin took the loss in stride. When asked how he felt about his team going down, he kept it short.

"I feel like it's good for them," he said. "It's going to help them down the road."

It showed that Kiffin is self-aware enough to admit the mistake and relaxed enough to laugh the whole thing off.

This is not the first time that Kiffin has had an embarrassing moment in a softball game. Last year in June, Ole Miss Rebels hosted its celebrity charity softball game.

Kiffin started the game well, collecting an infield single and making a nice defensive play. With two teammates on base and a chance to drive in runs, Kiffin struck out swinging on a full-count-like pressure pitch from Ole Miss women's basketball coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, ending the inning and wasting a chance to score.

While Kiffin enjoys his offseason, a crucial time awaits him.

The Pressure Waiting for Kiffin When the Season Actually Starts

Kiffin is under an immense amount of pressure for a first-year coach, according to analyst Matt Miguez. He built one of the most expensive rosters in the country by bringing in Sam Leavitt at quarterback and landing big transfers like Princely Umanmielen, TJ Dottery, and Winnie Watkins.

At the same time, he managed to keep star defenders Whit Weeks and DJ Pickett from leaving Baton Rouge. Significant spending on a roster often comes with increased pressure to deliver results.

The roster is loaded, but the schedule is brutal. LSU Tigers open in primetime against the Clemson Tigers, and the Alabama Crimson Tide is waiting later on. But the real date to watch is September 19 at Ole Miss. That game will be pure chaos since Kiffin keeps taking shots at his old team.

The new head coach will have to rebuild the Tigers from a 7-6 season.

How much of Kiffin's on-field success can be attributed to the way he handles off-field challenges? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar