COLUMBIA, S.C. — LSU lost the game. Then it lost the social media battle.
Ole Miss took the No. 1 spot in this week’s College Sports Social Pulse after taking down Lane Kiffin’s LSU Tigers. The game had been hyped all week by major sports media as Kiffin returned to Oxford to face his former team.
The College Sports Social Pulse, created by the Social Media Insights Lab at the University of South Carolina, measures the influence of college sports teams, players and coaches on social media.
LSU finished No. 2 in the Pulse rankings.
But the Kiffin Bowl wasn't just about the teams. Players and coaches from Ole Miss and LSU landed at or near the top of their respective rankings:
- Lane Kiffin, No. 1 coach
- Sam Leavitt, LSU quarterback, No. 1 player
- Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss quarterback, No. 4 player
- Pete Golding, Ole Miss coach, No. 5 coach
“Passion runs deep in college football, and few coaches generate attention quite like Lane Kiffin,” said Clay Owen, professor of practice at the University of South Carolina's School of Journalism and Mass Communications. “This is the first time since last year's Ohio State-Michigan game that we've seen a single matchup make this kind of impact across our rankings.”
| Rank | Team | Sports Social Pulse Index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ole Miss | 90.6 |
| 2 | LSU | 85.3 |
| 3 | Texas | 70.5 |
| 4 | Clemson | 68.6 |
| 5 | Alabama | 67.5 |
| 6 | Ohio State | 62.5 |
| 7 | Michigan | 60.4 |
| 8 | Notre Dame | 59.9 |
| 9 | Kentucky | 58.1 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 57.3 |
The storylines behind Chambliss and Leavitt were strikingly different. Social posts portrayed Chambliss as more than a quarterback. He emerged as a Heisman contender, the breakout star Kiffin left behind and a player increasingly outspoken about his faith. After the win, Chambliss credited God for giving him peace under pressure and later apologized for using profanity during his postgame interview, saying it didn't reflect who he is.
The conversation around Leavitt was more complicated. Posts described him as frustrating, volatile and inconsistent. But they also portrayed him as a quarterback who never quit.
| Rank | Player | Team | Sports Social Pulse Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Leavitt | LSU | 95.5 |
| 2 | Kamario Taylor | Mississippi State | 86.8 |
| 3 | Arch Manning | Texas | 77.5 |
| 4 | Trinidad Chambliss | Ole Miss | 72.5 |
| 5 | Jeremiah Smith | Ohio State | 66 |
| 6 | Malachi Toney | Miami | 65 |
| 7 | Darian Mensah | Miami | 61.1 |
| 8 | Jadan Baugh | Florida | 58.5 |
| 9 | Gunner Stockton | UGA | 56.4 |
| 10 | CJ Starr | Notre Dame | 55 |
While Lane Kiffin easily took the No. 1 slot, Dabo Swinney shot up the rankings to No. 2 after guiding his Clemson Tigers to a comeback, weather-delayed victory over the UNC Tarheels. But it wasn’t just football that drove Swinney’s numbers. His postgame comments about faith turned a football conversation into something much bigger — one about identity, leadership and values.
| Rank | Coach | Team | Sports Social Pulse Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lane Kiffin | LSU | 100 |
| 2 | Dabo Swinney | Clemson | 87.7 |
| 3 | Deion Sanders | Colorado | 84.2 |
| 4 | Will Stein | Kentucky | 63.9 |
| 5 - TIE | Dave Aranda | Baylor | 59.9 |
| 5 - TIE | Pete Golding | Ole Miss | 59.9 |
| 6 | Eric Morris | Oklahoma State | 55.8 |
| 7 | Jon Sumrall | Florida | 58.5 |
| 8 | Josh Heupel | Tennessee | 55.4 |
| 9 | Matt Rhule | Nebraska | 53.4 |
| 10 | Willie Fritz | Houston | 53.1 |
The Week Three rankings are based on social-media activity from Sept. 15 – Sept. 21.
About the College Sports Social Pulse™
Developed by the University of South Carolina’s Social Media Insights Lab, the College Sports Social Pulse™ transforms social-media conversation into insight about the teams, athletes and coaches shaping the culture and business of college sports.
The Pulse tracks the national conversation across major social platforms and uses advanced analytics to identify who is generating attention, engagement and emotional response — regardless of what happens on the scoreboard.