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Ole Miss has just made program history with its third straight double-digit win season. At 10-1, the Rebels are on the verge of their first College Football Playoff appearance – but that’s not what has everyone talking.
Coach Lane Kiffin’s future is stealing all the headlines after Ole Miss rallied to beat Florida 34-24. Both the Gators and LSU are aggressively pursuing the 50-year-old coach, and things escalated Monday when LSU sent a private plane to Oxford to fly members of the Kiffin family to Baton Rouge for a tour, according to The Advocate’s Wilson Alexander.
That’s not all. Sources confirmed to CBS Sports’ John Talty and Richard Johnson that a Kiffin family member visited Gainesville on Sunday as Florida ramps up its own recruiting pitch.
The mood in Oxford has shifted dramatically.
A few weeks ago those around Oxford were confident Kiffin would return. Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which represents Kiffin, was engaging the Rebels in extension talks. The College Football Playoff not beginning until Dec. 19 seemed to work in the program’s favor (the Rebels are almost assuredly in).
The tenor has shifted in recent weeks. There’s considerably less confidence now that Kiffin will stay in Oxford as several sources CBS Sports talked to believe it is more likely he’ll leave. Meanwhile, others in the last 24 hours have expressed optimism he’ll stay. Frankly, Kiffin is someone whose mind can change from day to day.
There are questions in his camp about the political infrastructure in Baton Rouge. There are also concerns for Kiffin about his potential alignment with the Florida administration.
It’s worth noting that both suitors are programs in crisis. LSU, which entered the season ranked 9th in the AP Poll, has stumbled to a disappointing 6-4 record (3-4 in SEC play) and fired Brian Kelly last month. Florida’s situation is even more dire — the preseason No. 15 Gators have completely collapsed to 3-7 (2-5 SEC) and showed Napier the door just a week before LSU made its coaching change.
The timing couldn’t be more awkward for Ole Miss.
Kiffin has transformed the Rebels program during his tenure. He’s compiled a 54-19 record (.740 winning percentage) in Oxford, part of his impressive 115-53 (.685) career mark. This year’s team ranks third nationally in total offense, churning out 494 yards per game.
With a bye week ahead, Ole Miss has time to regroup before facing Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Nov. 28. But the bigger question remains: Will Kiffin still be on the sideline when the Rebels make their likely College Football Playoff appearance in December?
