It was a struggle at times, but the seventh-ranked Ole Miss football team was able to survive at home against Florida on Saturday night. The Rebels battled back from multiple deficits to win, 34-24, to improve to 10-1. The win solidifies their chances of a berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff. After a bye next weekend, they close out the season at Mississippi State.
A bye week is coming at a good time, but it will also further the rumors surrounding head coach Lane Kiffin and other openings. The one opening he’s been linked to the most is the school he beat on Saturday night, Florida, to replace Billy Napier.
As Ole Miss was taking a final knee to end the game in Oxford, fans started chanting, “We want Lane, We want Lane!” What happens remains to be seen, but Kiffin, who is making $9 million this season, addressed the rumors late Saturday night.
Lane Kiffin Addresses Florida Rumors After Win Over Gators
Will Kiffin stay or will he go? That will be the question. Kiffin addressed the rumors, and he didn’t hint either way what he was thinking.
“I love what we’re doing here,” Kiffin said. “Today was awesome. To even talk about it right now would be so disrespectful to our players and how well they played today. We’ve got a lot of things going here. Doing really well, and I love it here.”
If there is one thing you learn during these coaching rumors, never to take what someone says as concrete. How many times have we heard someone say they like it where they are, only to suddenly leave? Money talks.
“I told our guys this week, as you get older, everybody always says the good old days,” said Kiffin. “I said, ‘Hey guys, I think we’re in the good old days right now.’ I think for our fans, for our players, it’s this utopia of what’s going on, so enjoy it. Because these runs don’t happen very often anywhere.”
Kiffin is a logical replacement for Napier. He would be an ideal fit in Gainesville and would turn them around quickly. LSU also has an opening, but making the move to Florida makes too much sense.
Big Week Upcoming For Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss
It’s very rare for a college football team to have a bye in Week 13. That’s what the Rebels have ahead of the Egg Bowl in two weeks against Mississippi State. A win and Ole Miss is hosting a CFP game next month, something that would be massive for the program and the future of it.
However, will Kiffin be part of the future of the program, or will he be at Florida, LSU, or somewhere else? Kiffin didn’t think any rumors leading into Saturday’s game were a distraction to his team.
“I don’t think we were distracted; 538 yards today for an offense seems pretty focused,” Kiffin said. “We’ve been dealing with what people would say are distractions for weeks now. It’s different nowadays. I think kids think differently.
“They’re getting pre-portaled every Saturday night they play well. I just talk to them and say, ‘That’s part of the process. When you guys play really well, these things happen, your coach gets talked about,’ and it ain’t the first time or first year that it’s happened around here. I don’t think it’s a problem.”
The next week should certainly be an interesting one with Kiffin.
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