Ole Miss is effectively one game away from clinching its first appearance in the College Football Playoff, but instead of focusing solely on that historic achievement, the talk around the school instead is whether or not head coach Lane Kiffin is about to leave.
The current consensus on that question is that he will ultimately go, either to LSU or Florida, but in the meantime Kiffin says his sole objective is to lead the Rebels against rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl this coming week.
No matter what happens in the future, that was always his intention in the present.
“It’s very important [to finish the season],” Kiffin said. “I’ve never thought of anything different than that.”
The statement comes amid ongoing speculation and drama around Kiffin’s pending decision, and around what must be some tension inside the Rebels program, which can’t be thrilled to have its winning coach the subject of rumors that he is entertaining taking a job somewhere else.
LSU is reportedly poised to offer Kiffin a landmark contract worth up to $98 million over seven years, an arrangement that would make him the highest-paid head coach in college football, surpassing two-time national champion Kirby Smart at Georgia.
Kiffin was adamant about not answering any questions about his future employment, instead deflecting those inquiries to Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter.
Carter has confirmed that an official announcement on Kiffin’s future plans will be expected on Nov. 29, the day after the Egg Bowl.
From there, it’s widely expected that the Rebels, ranked at No. 6 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings as of Monday, will land in the postseason field, and could potentially host a first-round game on campus.
“That would be huge,” Kiffin said, stating the obvious.
“Somebody said, and I don’t know if it’s true, that it would be the biggest sporting event in the history of Mississippi. That’s a pretty big statement. I actually asked Keith [Carter] that the other day. He said that would be true.”
In an effort to inculcate the players on the importance of the Egg Bowl rivalry, Kiffin asked former Ole Miss quarterback and current associate athletic director Tom Luke to speak to the players about the game.
“I think it’s so critical nowadays, because this isn’t the old days where 75 percent of our roster grew up in Mississippi and from here, it’s really critical for guys,” Kiffin said.
“With half of our room not having played in these games, and almost nobody in our room having played in it two years ago, it’s really critical for them to hear that and hear the passion Tom has for the rivalry.”
