BATON ROUGE, La. — Months of theatrics, weeks of controversy, days of legal wrangling and hours of uncertainty disappeared Saturday night at 7:56.That’s when Lane Kiffin, finally, took the field for the first time as LSU’s head coach.The crowd began to roar, and Kiffin cracked a smile. Almost a smirk.Maybe a knowing smirk, perhaps, of what was coming — a 51-10 shellacking of Clemson that validated the $13-million-a-year lightning rod of a coach and everything good, bad and dramatic he brings with him.“That’s what LSU’s supposed to be,” Kiffin said.And that’s what the Lane Kiffin Experience is at its best: A performance so impressive, with so many fireworks, that you’re willing to forget about everything else that Kiffin brings with him.A quick reminder, because there’s been a lot to keep track of. Since November, Kiffin has (deep breath) left a Playoff-bound Ole Miss team to join one of its rivals; signed the No. 1 transfer portal class with several of his former Rebels (two of whom have been sued by Ole Miss); made controversial comments to Vanity Fair about racial dynamics that rippled beyond the sports pages; and, most recently, pursued a pair of players who signed with NFL teams as undrafted free agents, leading to him being sued by his own conference Thursday. Other than that, not much.Kiffin alluded to the most recent saga during his halftime interview with ESPN, when he considered his 31-3 lead and muttered, “Imagine if we had pro players.” Afterward, Kiffin said it was just his personality coming through in another moment of sarcastic candor.“What’s the difference?” Kiffin said. “Everybody hates you. They can’t hate you that much more.”Well, not everybody.A father and son walked by in matching purple “Lane Train” T-shirts. Women in sundresses strolled around tailgates sporting Kiffin buttons: “Lane Train” over a tiger print background; Kiffin pointing at former head coach Ed Orgeron; and, oddly, one with Kiffin and Orgeron wearing identical sweater vests from a meme.Cory McDonald wore a campaign-style Kiffin/Orgeron ’26 shirt as he walked near the stadium with his uncle, Terry, a season ticket holder since LSU’s Gerry DiNardo era of the 1990s. Terry McDonald had felt excitement at plenty of games before, from the title runs of Nick Saban, Les Miles and Orgeron.“Nothing like this,” he said.Thousands lined Victory Hill for LSU’s Tiger Walk into the stadium. Fans climbed trees and light poles to try to get a glimpse of Kiffin strolling in with a suit (no tie) and shades. It was a literal dog and pony show; the Budweiser Clydesdale horses paraded in with a Dalmatian pacing atop their wagon.“I felt like I was back at Mardi Gras,” Kiffin said.