Sometimes it pays to wait a little bit to calculate my SwampSwamiSports.com College Football Top 25 rankings.

Within an hour of completing my weekly research to determine this week’s #1 team (spoiler alert – Indiana remains on top), a friend called to ask if I had heard the big news coming out of Baton Rouge.

LSU head football coach Brian Kelly was fired late Sunday afternoon

Anyone who watched Texas A&M (now 8-0) absolutely demolish LSU 49-25 on Saturday night in Baton Rouge knows why Coach Brian Kelly was fired on Sunday.

The Texas Aggies could have and, perhaps, should have won the game by an even wider margin of victory after steamrolling LSU during the second half.

Believe it or not, LSU was downright lucky during the game’s second quarter

Saturday night’s second quarter saw LSU (now 5-3) block a punt out of the Aggies’ end zone for a two point safety to cut the early Texas A&M lead to 14-9.

After LSU defensive back A.J. Haulsy snagged an interception to save a touchdown in the Tigers’ end zone, senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier lofted a 41-yard jump ball which receiver Barion Brown miraculously hauled in for a first down.  LSU then displayed an effective running game (gasp!) to complete a 75-yard drive with a touchdown and grab a 15-14 lead with three minutes left in the half.

Here come the Tigers!

A deflected pass interception by LSU with under two minutes left in the first half was turned into a 30-yard field goal.  The Tigers looked charmed in taking their 18-14 lead over A&M into the locker room at the break.

The 103,000 fans in attendance were getting excited for the second half as the two schools’ exceptional marching bands took the field for their halftime performances.

You may be asking, “So, why would LSU fire its coach after leading at halftime?”

Texas A&M scored an incredible 35 straight points to start the second half.

It was like watching Saturday morning cartoon legend Roadrunner zooming by a stunned Wile E. Coyote.

Over and over and over again.

Rapidly improving Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed danced and raced for ten or more yards anytime he wanted to.  He had 13 carries for an easy 108 yards and two scores.

Speedy punt return specialist K.C. Conception made LSU’s punt return team look like they were in slow motion as he took a punt 79 yards for an easy third quarter score.

Aggies wide receiver Mario Craver raced through and around LSU defenders as if they were tackling dummies on the practice field.

Texas A&M receivers caught only twelve passes in this game.  They rang-up 202 yards on those completions for an astounding 18 yards per reception and two touchdowns.

Meanwhile, LSU’s offense, defense and special teams played as if their feet were sinking in quicksand in Tiger Stadium.

Texas A&M’s 18-14 halftime deficit was quickly converted into a massive 49-18 advantage in the fourth quarter. 

The only noise being heard in the vast Tiger Stadium structure during the second half was coming from 10,000 deliriously “whooping” Texas Aggie fans.

LSU’s home crowd had seen enough by the end of the third quarter.  They departed their beloved stadium in droves much to the joyous delight of those giddy Maroon and White fans congregated in the South end zone.

The Fightin’ Aggie Band serenaded the nearly empty stadium with the “Aggie War Hymn” time after time throughout the second half.  A smattering of remaining LSU fans sat in stunned silence as Texas A&M celebrated its first victory in Tiger Stadium since 1994.

Godzilla could not have created more destruction to this LSU football team

Texas A&M played incredible football in the second half.  They were clearly the better coached and more talented team.  The Aggies are deserving 8-0 and a legitimate national championship contender.

On the other hand, LSU (now 5-3) played like an 0-8 team for most of this game.  The lone exception was a brief first half sighting of a rejuvenated Tigers running game sparked by freshman Harlem Barry (9 carries for 59 yards) and sophomore Cade Durham (5 carries for 36 yards).

Unfortunately, 38-year old LSU offensive coordinator Joe Sloan effectively ignored the running game for nearly the entire second half.

That left the Tigers’ very banged-up and not-so-fleet footed quarterback Garrett Nussmeier as “target practice” for the attacking swarms of oncoming Aggie defensive rushers.

Those watching in the stadium or at home on television cannot remember LSU taking such a dramatic beating – even from Nick Saban’s national championship squads at Alabama.

Saturday night’s “Beatdown in Baton Rouge” reminded me of those early Godzilla movies.  The gigantic beast (Texas A&M) trampled everything in sight and sent thousands scrambling away as the monster took firm control of, in this case, Tiger Stadium.

LSU raised the white flag on its 2025 season as it fired coach Brian Kelly

Sunday’s sudden dismissal of fourth year football coach Brian Kelly will delight many LSU fans.  The upper Midwesterner was a cultural mismatch from Day 1 in Louisiana, but Kelly’s coaching track record indicated that he could eventually win over the fans with a few championship contenders.

LSU’s 5-3 record in 2025 has featured only one win over an FBS opponent with a winning record (4-3 Louisiana Tech).  The Tigers are now 2-3 in the SEC.  Their season-opening win over preseason #4 Clemson (now 3-4) was an early season mirage.

Athletic Director Scott Woodward (who hired Brian Kelly at LSU and, before that, Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M) now owns the dubious #1 and #2 spots on the highest college football coaching contract buyouts ever to be paid.

Ironically, Jimbo Fisher captured $76 million upon being fired at Texas A&M two years ago.  The 64-year old Brian Kelly’s contract calls for an estimated $54 million to be paid from the coach’s ten year contract through the 2031 football season.

Both of those deals were negotiated by the very same Scott Woodward.  Ouch.

The opening paragraph of Sunday night’s press release by Woodward said, “We had high hopes that he (Kelly) would lead us to multiple SEC and national champ