If Lane Kiffin is break up over the place to educate in 2026, Ole Miss might have made his choice simpler by making it more durable to go away.
On Friday, School Soccer Playoff No. 7 Ole Miss (11-1, 7-1 in SEC) successfully clinched a spot within the 12-team playoff with a 38-19 win over in-state rival Mississippi State (5-7, 1-7 in SEC) within the Egg Bowl.
Kiffin, in his sixth season as Ole Miss head coach, has entertained presents from LSU and Florida over the previous month and is reportedly down to the Rebels and Tigers concerning his teaching future. However with Saturday’s win, Ole Miss may need left Kiffin with no alternative however to stay in Oxford.
Overwhelming LSU supply may not be sufficient break up magical Ole Miss season
A youthful Kiffin might have already moved to Baton Rouge, however he is matured since leaving Tennessee for USC after one season 16 years in the past. It took years for Kiffin to rehabilitate his picture after his failed stint at Southern Cal, together with three seasons spent as offensive coordinator at Alabama and one other three years at Florida Atlantic earlier than being given one other likelihood main an influence convention program.
Leaving Ole Miss because it prepares to host a CFP first-round sport can be an irrevocable stain, regardless of how a lot success he’d seemingly have at LSU.
The Tigers reportedly offered Kiffin an “incentive-laden deal” price roughly $90M whereas additionally making certain vital title, picture and likeness (NIL) investments. Packages have a cap in how a lot they may give gamers, however athletes are nonetheless capable of revenue off of NIL offers, and that monetary promise might be extraordinarily engaging to Kiffin.
As attractive because the attract of teaching at LSU — significantly night time video games in Dying Valley — might be, Kiffin’s current is lots vibrant sufficient.
The Rebels are within the thick of the CFP race and may make main noise within the 12-team discipline. Their solely loss got here at No. 4 Georgia (10-1, 7-1 in SEC) after they scored touchdowns on their first 5 possessions. Coming into Friday, Ole Miss ranked third in FBS in complete offense (493.8 yards per sport) and No. 13 in scoring offense (37.2 factors per sport).
A loss to Mississippi State would have made it loads simpler for Kiffin to justify leaving for LSU. However Friday’s decisive win emphasised simply how good Ole Miss is. Too good for Kiffin to say goodbye.
