GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin would have you believe he’s at the Ole Miss of Ed Orgeron (10-25, 3-21, 2005-07) or of Matt Luke (15-21, 6-18, 2017-19).
And that’s a shame, because he’s not giving himself credit. Kiffin has dramatically turned around the Ole Miss program like no one could since the string of 11 coaches after the legendary Johnny Vaught (1947-70). Vaught won six Southeastern Conference titles and the 1960 national championship, according to the Football Writers Association of America. Vaught won 10 games in a season four times when they only played 10 or 11 games.
Kiffin, whose No. 13 Rebels (4-0, 2-0 SEC) host No. 4 LSU (4-0, 1-0 SEC) on Saturday (2:30 p.m., ABC), is the only Ole Miss coach since Vaught to have three seasons of 10 wins or more, and Kiffin did it in just his fifth season last year.
Upon further review, Garrett Nussmeier could’ve gone 31-of-31 passing Saturday night, if his receivers could’ve caught up to his fastball. COLUMN:https://t.co/28z5bdLfHS
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 22, 2025
The only other Rebel coaches to win 10 games – Hugh Freeze and David Cutcliffe – did it just once. And Freeze’s 10-3 season in 2015 was largely erased by the NCAA for major recruiting violations. Kiffin also was the first Ole Miss coach ever to win 10 regular season games, and he did it twice in 2021 and ’23.
Kiffin is also easily the highest paid football coach in Ole Miss history at $9 million. And the Ole Miss powers that be on and off campus are supporting Ole Miss recruiting via Name, Image & Likeness, and thus the NCAA Transfer Portal, as well as many of the upper level programs in the country.
In fact, Ole Miss was much more advanced into NIL streams for the portal than LSU since NIL began in 2021 through the first 11 months of 2024. For example, Kiffin’s portal class of spring 2024 finished ranked No. 1 by 247sports.com with 26 signees, while LSU and coach Brian Kelly’s checked in at No. 43 with nine transfers.
Yet, somehow, No. 13 LSU beat No. 9 Ole Miss, 29-26, in overtime last season. And the Rebels (10-3, 5-3 SEC) finished just one game ahead of LSU (9-4, 5-3) overall. And they somehow lost at home to Kentucky, which finished 4-8 and 1-7, and at Florida, which finished 8-5 and 4-4. Kentucky, by the way, had the No. 21 portal class in 2024 with 13 transfers.
In 2023, Kiffin had the No. 2 portal class with 23 transfers to LSU’s No. 5 class with 13. And in 2022, Ole Miss had the No. 2 class with 20 transfers to LSU’s No. 3 with 15. LSU beat Ole Miss that year, too.
But everything changed after LSU lost three straight games last October and November to fall to 9-4 and miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season while also losing the commitment of No. 1 quarterback Bryce Underwood.
Then, suddenly LSU found the NIL/portal money like it never has before, approximately $18 million for its entire roster from various sources, including Kelly himself with a $1 million donation to LSU’s Bayou Traditions NIL collective to get the ball rolling. Fans even contributed in a big way. And LSU jumped head first into the portal and NIL like never before.
The result was the No. 1 transfer portal class in the nation for 2025 with 18 transfers. But Ole Miss was still tailgating on LSU’s wheels and finished No. 4 in the portal with 30 transfers.
What? No LSU-Bama game in near future?https://t.co/lQxvDNHhSd
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 22, 2025
And suddenly Kiffin is typically aghast at all the talent LSU has, much as he was when Texas A&M and then-coach Jimbo Fisher raked in the No. 1 high school recruiting class in 2022.
“These guys have one of the best rosters in America,” Kiffin said at his press conference on Monday. “They’re heavily financially invested in the portal. And it shows.”
Kiffin referred to three LSU portal additions in particular – cornerback Mansoor Delane and safeties Tamarcus Cooley and A.J. Haulcy. They have almost by themselves made LSU cover as if Nick Saban was still coaching, which has allowed man-to-man coverage and thus blitzing and a great pass rush.
“They were heavily recruited and probably the three most expensive portal DBs in the market,” Kiffin said. “And they got them all. So, they did a great job with that. And now they’re coaching them really well. And they’re playing great.”
Ole Miss is a 1.5-point favorite to beat LSU, but you might not think that, listening to Kiffin.
“These guys got premier, premier players,” he said. “Now, they’ve added three premier NFL draft picks in the secondary.”
Wah, wah, wah.
Kiffin often sounds like the spoiled kid on Christmas morning when the kid across the street got a shinier new toy. That other kid Kiffin cries about is often LSU. Kiffin even whined about national networks loving to have LSU play at night when his Rebels hosted Tulane Saturday.
“If we’re going to play LSU here, it’s going to be day,” he said. “And if we’re going down there, it’s going to be a night one. So, just know what it’s going to be. It is what it is. I’m sure we’ll be a night at Georgia, too.”
Lane, you’re doing great, but you’re still at Ole Miss, which did lose to LSU at night last season. And surely that’s why Kiffin lost.
Start winning some big games, Lane, and you can be a big boy and get to stay out at night at home.
INABILITY TO WIN THE BIG ONE HAUNTS LANE KIFFIN
Kiffin tends to exaggerate. He’s right about LSU’s defense, but he started in on LSU’s offensive line, which continues to struggle in spots and is the main reason the Tigers are No. 111 in the nation in rushing offense with 116.8 yards a game.
“You walk by the TV copy, and they show the offense huddling playing Florida,” Kiffin said. “And it looks like an NFL huddle of guys.”
All right, Lane, now you’ve gotten out all the excuses you need, in case you lose Saturday.
Be the first to comment