LSU opened the bank vault, stroked a big check, and got its man.

Southern Cal's moment in the spotlight after hiring Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma didn't last long. LSU seized the attention by lifting veteran Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly away from one of the sport's most iconic jobs for the chance at a richer paycheck and fertile recruiting ground on the Bayou.

Kelly received a 10-year contract worth $95 million, plus incentives.

But did LSU make a home-run hire or overspend in a panic buy to wrap up a coaching search that had entered its seventh week?

On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, host Blake Toppmeyer and guest cohost Nick Kelly of the Tuscaloosa News evaluate LSU's hire.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.