When Clark Lea's oldest son got sick about five years ago and was in the hospital for eight days, Brian Kelly — at the time vacationing overseas — called to check in on Lea's family. Today, Lea remembers that gesture when he thinks back on the mentorship Kelly, now the head coach at LSU, gave him.

In the most recent College Football Playoff poll, LSU is unranked for the first time since 2021. Following an 11-point loss to Florida, the Tigers are on the outside looking in for the first time in the Brian Kelly era.

The Tigers are 6-4 and out of the CFP race, but they still have two games left to play. At this point, they have a choice to keep working toward success, or frankly, they can give up.