The Ole Miss Rebels are really making Lane Kiffin regret his decision to leave them for the LSU Tigers after the final regular-season game. Kiffin led the Rebels to a 11-1 season, thereby securing a spot in the College Football Playoff.
The Rebels first defeated Tulane and then followed it up with a dramatic 39-34 victory against the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl. Next up, they face Miami in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl.
With Ole Miss succeeding despite the departure of Kiffin, one fan asked college football analyst Josh Pate if the head coach had lost his chance at winning a national championship by leaving Oxford. Pate believes Kiffin still stands a chance to win a national championship with his new program in Baton Rouge.
“I can only tell you where I think Lane Kiffin’s head is at on this,” Pate said. “My answer to the question, before I get too far away from it: I think he’ll have good shots to win national titles at LSU. I think he’ll have at least one chance. I think he’ll have at least one team that gives him a better shot to win the national title than he would have had with this year’s Ole Miss team. So my answer to the question is no, he didn’t just throw his best shot at the national title down the drain.”
Ole Miss HC Clears Way For Lane Kiffin’s Potential LSU-Bound Coaches To Stay For Playoffs
During Saturday’s Fiesta Bowl press conference, Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding made it clear that those Rebels coaches who are planning to go to LSU under Lane Kiffin are welcome to stay with the program for the playoffs.
“They have every opportunity like they have up to this point to be able to make that decision,” Golding said. “So, week in and week out, I don’t dictate whether they do that or not because they’re not employed by me. Up to this point, that is how it’s been and that’s my expectation.”
“These things obviously come up every year, and guys try to do both jobs, and they have responsibilities with the new job that takes precedence, especially in times like this, and when they can make both work, they make both work. If they can’t, they can’t,” Golding added. “ … That will not be any reason for our success or lack of success within this game. The play callers haven’t changed. There’s people in every room. Our players know what to do. It’s going to have no impact on the game.”
It’s a little selfless act from Golding. Because if the coaches are indeed going to the NFL, they might indirectly influence some players to enter the transfer portal and bring them to LSU.
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