LSU wanted its coach Brian Kelly gone. It could cost $54 million.

LSU has fired Brian Kelly midway through his fourth season after the Tigers fell to 5-3, according to multiple reports.

Another powerhouse college football program whose high expectations have gone awry has decided to fire its coach — and dole out potentially north of $50 million to make him go away.

LSU has fired Brian Kelly midway through his fourth season after the Tigers, who harbored preseason ambitions of a deep College Football Playoff run, fell to 5-3, according to the university.

The firing has turned what looked like perhaps an outlier event — firing a head coach despite the pain of a massive buyout — into a trend. Only two weeks after Penn State decided that reaching last season's playoff semifinal, let alone the deterrent of a nearly $50 million buyout, wasn't enough to keep it from firing coach James Franklin, LSU could be on the hook for around $54 million to fire Kelly.

If paid in full, it would be the second-largest buyout in college football history. The ultimate payout, however, could be much lower. Just as in the terms of Franklin's buyout at Penn State, what LSU owes Kelly can be reduced by the amount of any "football-related employment" he earns in the future, according to The Advocate newspaper.

LSU hinted at hoping to trim its forthcoming bill in announcing the firing. Athletic director Scott Woodward said in a statement that the school would "continue to negotiate his separation and will work toward a path that is better for both parties."