Lane Kiffin’s transfer saga from Ole Miss to LSU late last year was the biggest story of the huge coaching carousel college football went through in 2025. For weeks, the world of college football held its breath, trying to understand if Kiffin would stay at Oxford or leave for Baton Rouge.
It seems the coach’s desire to lead the Rebels into the College Football Playoff (CFP) delayed the outcome, but the Tigers’ authorities didn’t budge, and Ole Miss is now being led into the semifinals by Pete Golding, Kiffin’s defensive coordinator.
Kiffin’s behavior during this entire situation, and his willingness to bail on his team as soon as they had achieved their long-term goal of making the CFP, has given him a bit of a bad reputation among the public. This has made the public rally behind the Rebels in the CFP, says Paul Finebaum, who on Monday said this on the “Matt Barrie Show.”:
“It’s cliché to say that somebody is America’s team, because somebody’s always America’s team, but this Ole Miss team would be. And it’s not really so much that anybody cares about Ole Miss, is that the country together, in unison, is starting to really hate Lane Kiffin.” (3:30)
Ole Miss has a big opportunity to make the national championship game, as it faces the lowest-ranked team left in the CFP in the form of the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes. However, the game is not expected to be a breeze either, with the ‘Canes having eliminated two higher-ranked teams: No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 2 Ohio State.
What Are The Odds For No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Miami?
Despite the Rebels being more highly ranked than the Hurricanes, Miami comes in as a slight favorite for the Fiesta Bowl. DraftKings has the ‘Canes as 3.5-point favorites for the semifinal game. The ESPN game predictor is a bit more confident on a victory for Mario Cristobal’s team, giving them a 55.6% chance of winning.
The game is set for 7:30 pm ET on Thursday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The Fiesta Bowl will air on ESPN.
Also Read:
- Insider Names One Player Kyle Whittingham Needs To Keep Away From Transfer Portal And It’s Not Bryce Underwood
- Bryce Underwood Transfer Portal Update: Top 3 Destinations for Michigan’s Five-Star Freshman
- Throwback to When Kyle Whittingham’s Wife Jamie Celebrated 41st Anniversary With New Michigan HC With Heartfelt Note
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