If Florida loses Lane Kiffin to LSU, here's where Gators can turn next

There can be only one winner of the Lane Kiffin sweepstakes. That leaves two losers.

Many Florida fans have set their eye upon Kiffin for more than a year now. Billy Napier’s persistent struggles contributed to the lust. Imagine the Gators’ heartache if Kiffin chooses SEC rival LSU. Imagine Mississippi’s fury if he betrays the Rebels amid their best season since a 10-0 showing in 1962.

Oh, the madness of it all.

On this edition of “SEC Football Unfiltered,” a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams unpack the latest developments in “The Bachelor, College Coaching Edition,” as Kiffin’s decision day nears. They log their predictions for where he'll be coaching next season.

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They also weigh in on a few potential Florida candidates if the Gators lose the Kiffin sweepstakes.

Where should Florida pivot search if Lane Kiffin picks LSU?

Adams: Make Urban say no! OK, I’ve gotten that out of my system. Wait, not entirely. I feel compelled to say it once more. Make Urban say no!

OK, I promise I’m finished with that. Moving on.

Make Brent Key say no!

Don’t be too put off by Georgia Tech’s loss to Pittsburgh. That just makes it more likely that Key will be unencumbered by the ACC Championship game and the College Football Playoff, freeing him up to consider Florida. I’ve been impressed by Key’s ability to spark a Georgia Tech uprising, even in the shadow of Georgia’s success.

Key, a Georgia Tech alumnus, recently said people questioning his loyalty to his alma mater should cut him open and see what colors he bleeds. Who knows, maybe he’s got some orange and blue tucked in those veins. Florida should inquire about this born and raised Southerner who worked many years in the state as a Central Florida assistant, and who’s now guiding Georgia Tech to its best season since 2016.

TOPPMEYER: As Lane Kiffin plays footsie with three schools, Ole Miss' adult in the room emerges

ADAMS: Why I'd rank Indiana, not Ohio State, as No. 1

Toppmeyer: I second my co-host’s logic of having Key on the backup plan list if Florida fails to hook Kiffin, although I think Key is even better suited to Auburn’s needs.

I still like Louisville’s Jeff Brohm for Florida. I know, I know, his team just got trounced by SMU, but the Cardinals played without injured quarterback Miller Moss. And, hey, maybe his three-game losing streak makes Brohm more eager to move on from his alma mater.

A former NFL quarterback, he’s a sharp offensive-minded coach who leaves programs better than he found them. After Florida’s failed experiment with Billy Napier, it would make sense to go with a coach who’s proven himself in the Power Four ranks, first in the Big Ten (Purdue) and now the ACC (Louisville).

What if Tulane’s Jon Sumrall can choose between Auburn or Ole Miss?

Adams: Pick Auburn. Tigers fans and their boosters are desperate for a winner. Sumrall can turn that desperation into an asset (see, NIL bucks).

Toppmeyer: Pick Auburn. As the cliché goes, you don’t want to be the guy to follow the guy. Why follow Kiffin, Ole Miss’ best coach since Johnny Vaught, when you could follow Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze, two of the biggest bums in Auburn history? Never mind the pressure at Auburn, because expectations are high nearly everywhere in the SEC, nowadays.

Week 14 SEC picks against the spread!

Toppmeyer's five-pack of picks (picks in bold):

∎ Ole Miss (-6.5) at Mississippi State

∎ LSU at Oklahoma (-10.5)

∎ Missouri (-2.5) at Arkansas

∎ Alabama (-6.5) at Auburn (-6.5)

∎ Kennesaw State (-2.5) at Liberty

Season record: 31-34 (4-1 last week)

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Adams' five-pack of picks (picks in bold):

∎ Georgia (-12.5) at Georgia Tech

∎ Missouri (-2.5) at Arkansas

∎ Vanderbilt at Tennessee (-2.5)

∎ Alabama (-6.5) at Auburn

∎ Bowling Green (-14.5) at Massachusetts

Season record: 33-32 (3-2 last week)

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Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. John Adams is the senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: If Lane Kiffin picks LSU, here's how Florida can still nail hire