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Paul Finebaum was right to criticize Lane Kiffin for his actions over ten years ago. Just like Kiffin was right to fire back at Finebaum during SEC Media Days in Dallas last week.
A lot has changed since Kiffin left Tennessee, Finebaum’s alma mater. He even coined the phrase “tarmac-ing” while leading the USC Trojans.
After hitting rock bottom post-USC, Kiffin became one of Nick Saban’s biggest success stories. He shone as an innovative offensive coordinator before transforming Florida Atlantic into a Group of Five powerhouse.
Now, he’s making waves at Ole Miss. Earlier this week, Kiffin confronted Finebaum on “The Paul Finebaum Show.” He didn’t appreciate being called a joke and needing to be fired at USC.
His kids were watching, and it hurt. Fast forward to now, Kiffin is aiming to lead Ole Miss to its first playoff appearance with a shot at a national title.
It’s all fun and games until Kiffin gets too serious. Keeps us on edge.
“Really I don’t know what you’re good at” is wild😭😭 pic.twitter.com/eiGLvD0C8C
— Daniel Giddens🐘 (@DGiddensBurner) July 18, 2024
If Kiffin has truly changed, we might need to take Ole Miss more seriously as a national contender.
In classic Kiffin style, he noted that both he and Miley Cyrus are still around. The “Miley Cyrus of College Football” nickname suits him almost as well as Lane Train or Joey Freshwater.
Sure, we can joke about Kiffin’s personality, but he’s also an incredible football coach. This is the best Ole Miss has been in recent memory.
Monte Kiffin, Lane’s iconic father, recently passed away. Monte was the mastermind behind the Tampa 2 defense during the Buccaneers’ glory days under Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden.
People say a man really becomes a man after his father’s passing. I agree. Despite financial independence, it’s invaluable to consult parents about life’s challenges—they’ve seen it all before.
I sense Kiffin will seize this opportunity with his best team yet.
I might be in the minority, but I rank Ole Miss fifth most likely to win the 12-team playoff.
