Ole Miss is 10-1 heading into Friday's annual Egg Bowl against Mississippi State. A victory over their rival would give the Rebels their first 11-win regular season in program history and not only punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff but also cement them as a serious contender for the national title.
All should be great for Ole Miss right now but that's not the vibe around the program because of its coach, Lane Kiffin, and the questions surrounding his future at the school.
Kiffin's name has been rumored for the job openings at LSU and Florida, both of which are big-name SEC programs looking for a new leader after firing their head coaches this season. If Kiffin does decide to move on to one of those programs, his decision could come as early as Saturday.
Fox Sports' lead college football analyst, Joel Klatt, tackled the situation on his podcast this week with a very smart take on what this all means for Kiffin and how his exit from Ole Miss would come at a hefty price. And Klatt wasn't talking about money. He was talking about Kiffin's reputation going forward.
“How does Lane Kiffin leave Ole Miss in the middle of a playoff run and have any credibility at his next place? I don’t think that he would. Your credibility is your currency as a coach," Klatt said. “We can sit here and lament the calendar and realize that hey man this is not a great position for Lane to be in. I totally agree with that but it’s also still up to him. If you say yes to everything, how can you be committed to anything? I don’t think he has to go anywhere to find success. This is not like it used to be. You see, it used to be like, LSU would come open and you’re like, ‘I got to go there if I want to go there to win at the top end.’ But guess what? The proof that you don’t have to do that is Lane at Ole Miss. He is winning at the top end at Ole Miss. You can win in this era, in the modern era of college football. The fit is more important than the logo on your hat.”
Klatt then went on to explain why he thinks Kiffin leaving Ole Miss would be really bad for the sport.
“I am concerned for what that would mean for college football. Because this would be like a car accident of epic proportions,” he said. “If he were to leave and then not coach the CFP, he is destroying the Ole Miss football team. Those kids committed to him as much as they did committed to Ole Miss. Then they committed to each other to achieve something great. They will not excel in the playoffs without him as their playcaller. And if he leaves them, it’s not just the calendar’s fault because he has agency. He has agency. And he doesn’t have to leave. So i would just say your credibility as a coach is everything. So I would just say your credibility as a coach is everything. And your credibility is tied to your character. The biggest threat to your credibility in life—all of us—is ourselves.
Here's Klatt laying out that argument:
"How does Lane Kiffin leave Ole Miss in the middle of a playoff run, and have any credibility at his next place?"@joelklatt with a check-in on the "messy" Lane Kiffin situation. pic.twitter.com/iCMCMhu2Zu
— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) November 24, 2025
What Lane Kiffin said Monday about his future at Ole Miss
Kiffin kicked off his Monday press conference by stating that he would “just answer questions on this game or the season and our players.”
Kiffin opted not to provide any details when pressed about a meeting last week with Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter and Ole Miss chancellor Glenn Boyce.
“Like I said at the beginning—very fair question—but we’re not answering anything that doesn’t have to do with the game and the team and the season,” Kiffin said. “But, fair question.”
Here is Kiffin responding to three questions about his future:
Here are the three questions and answers from Lane Kiffin’s Monday press conference regarding his coaching future. pic.twitter.com/3AFN4PukMS
— Matt Moscona (@MattMoscona) November 25, 2025
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss also addressed the situation on Monday
Ole Miss players understand what's going on with their head coach but they are focused on Friday's big game against Mississippi State. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss posted this statement on social media on Monday:
"To our fans, this team is completely locked in, living in the moment, and staying true to our 1-0 mindset for the Egg Bowl and future games. We are unbothered by anything about next year and fully trusting Coach Kiffin’s leadership to keep us moving toward our goals!" Chambliss tweeted.
To our fans, this team is completely locked in, living in the moment, and staying true to our 1-0 mindset for the Egg Bowl and future games. We are unbothered by anything about next year and fully trusting Coach Kiffin’s leadership to keep us moving toward our goals! pic.twitter.com/AAgraNb63P
— Trinidad Chambliss (@TrinidadChambl1) November 24, 2025
Ole Miss and Mississippi State will square off Friday at noon ET. Will this be Kiffin's last game with the Rebels? We could find that out very soon.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Joel Klatt Tore Down Lane Kiffin in Very Smart Way on Possible Exit From Ole Miss .
