The entire reason Lane Kiffin chose to become the next head coach at LSU was to put himself in the best possible position to win a national championship. Meanwhile, the program he just left behind at the end of November — Ole Miss — is now one win away from playing for one.
The Rebels are coming off a stunning 39-34 upset over Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl quarterfinal. They will now face the Miami Hurricanes in the VRBO Fiesta Bowl semifinal.
It’s hard not to wonder how Kiffin is feeling watching his former team knock on the door of a national title. With three of the four semifinalists having never won a championship — Ole Miss included — the situation raises an uncomfortable question. At least this season, the grass may not be greener in Baton Rouge than it is in Oxford.
Still, almost no one predicted Ole Miss would reach this point. They had already lost to Georgia earlier in the season, and the assumption was the Bulldogs would make take the rematch. Instead, Ole Miss flipped the script — perhaps shocking even Kiffin and LSU.
Questions Loom Over Ole Miss Assistants Ahead of Fiesta Bowl
When Kiffin accepted the LSU job, he brought several Ole Miss offensive assistants with him. On December 9, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that while Kiffin was not permitted to coach the Rebels through the College Football Playoff, multiple assistants were allowed to return for the postseason.
That group included offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., tight ends coach Joe Cox, wide receivers coach George McDonald, assistant quarterbacks coach Dane Stevens and slot receivers coach Sawyer Jordan.
Those coaches were on the sideline and in the coaches box as Ole Miss cruised past Tulane 41-10 in the first round on December 20. Even then, the prevailing belief was that Georgia would ultimately advance to the semifinals. Ole Miss had other plans.
Now, the situation has grown more complicated. With the Rebels set to face Miami in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal, questions have emerged about whether those assistants will continue coaching in the playoff while simultaneously transitioning to LSU. Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported that the staff’s availability for the semifinal could be in doubt.
“I don’t know. We’re going to celebrate tonight and get ready for Arizona in the morning,” Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter told Yahoo Sports following the win.
According to Cole Cubelic, Weis informed him during the Sugar Bowl pregame that he planned on staying during the entire playoff run.
Things Could Get Messy Between LSU, Ole Miss Before Fiesta Bowl
From the assistants’ perspective, wanting to finish what they started makes sense. However, that arrangement appears to benefit Ole Miss far more than LSU, which is now trying to build its roster for next season with the transfer portal already open.
“An LSU source told me sustaining this much longer was ‘not realistic,’” Louisiana Sports’ Matt Moscona reported.
The timing only adds pressure. The Fiesta Bowl will be played January 8, and if Ole Miss advances, the CFP national championship game is scheduled for January 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Moscona also noted another factor that could abruptly end the shared arrangement: a potential tampering allegation Ole Miss is preparing against LSU.
“Ole Miss is preparing a tampering allegation claim against LSU,” Moscona said. “Hard to justify that when you’re allowing their coaches in your facility.”
What started as a feel-good postseason run is now bordering on messy. Ole Miss has everything to lose at this point — beginning with the Fiesta Bowl — while LSU waits for clarity. How long the two programs can continue walking this tightrope remains one of the most intriguing subplots of the playoff.
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