Ole Miss Rebels and Lane Kiffin won far more than an SEC game in victory over Oklahoma Sooners and Brent Venables on Saturday

Every time the Ole Miss Rebels win it increases the chances that Lane Kiffin stays in Oxford

Travis May — College Football Managing Editor
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The Ole Miss Rebels edged out the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday in a dramatic 34-26 victory, but the impact goes much further than just the SEC standings or even College Football Playoff implications.

There has been nonstop noise from the Florida Gators, their fan base, and media from down south that they will pursue Lane Kiffin hard to fill their head coaching vacancy. Kiffin does have personal ties to Florida dating back to the Steve Spurrier days (which could be an article by itself), and the university is obviously going to go all in to “get their guy” if Lane will have them.

However, as long as Ole Miss keeps winning games, his odds of being pulled away from Rebels fans to be the next head coach of the Florida Gators get lower and lower every week. As the Rebels move to 7-1 following their Sooners win, a trip to the playoffs looks more and more inevitable, which means Kiffin could very well be staying in Oxford.

Another win for Ole Miss means Lane Kiffin might stay head coach for Rebels

What on earth does a win over the Oklahoma Sooners in October have to do with the Florida Gators not landing Kiffin as head coach? There are certainly layers to that answer.

First off, and perhaps most obvious, is that the more Kiffin wins at Ole Miss, the more he believes that he can win a national championship with the Rebels. A few short years ago, the idea of winning a natty with Ole Miss might have felt impossible, but Kiffin now moves to a 28-6 win-loss record in the last three seasons alone.

The Rebels NIL and administrative efforts are aligned with Kiffin’s vision, and the program looks as well-positioned as any to compete seriously and sustainably now. If Kiffin continues to feel at home with Ole Miss (as he’s said repeatedly, especially when it comes to meaning a lot to his immediate family) and believes winning at the highest level is possible, why move now?

Secondly, the Gators might love the idea of Kiffin as their head coach, but if he’s coaching games well into January with Ole Miss, is the administration in Gainesville really going to want to wait that long?

Florida has already fired Billy Napier, and ideally, would have their guy ahead of the early signing period for recruiting. At the very least, ahead of the transfer portal window in January. With every win, especially big-time SEC victories over teams like Oklahoma, it looks like Kiffin won’t even be available when Florida needs him to be.

Lastly, and the most fun reason that Kiffin likely stays with Ole Miss if it keeps winning this season, is that he looks like he’s having a blast right now. Kiffin is always one to poke fun and say the quiet part out loud, but he was up to some hilarious antics immediately after the 34-26 win over Oklahoma Saturday.

Davd Stone, Oklahoma’s former five-star defensive line difference maker, found Kiffin on the field after the game, and Lane let him have it:

“You’re a little quieter now than before,” Kiffin said to Stone with a smirk, just as he was beginning his on-field interview with Molly McGrath of ESPN.

Kiffin clarified, “This guy yelled at me during the game like five times how great [the Sooners] were, and we can’t score on them.” Kiffin couldn’t help but smile as he rightfully talked trash to one of the best players on the Oklahoma Sooners’ defense. He’s having way too much fun with this year’s team.

The Ole Miss offense converted 21 first downs, put up 431 total yards of offense, and scored 34 points on Oklahoma’s No. 1 defense in the nation. Prior to Saturday, the Sooners hadn’t given up more than 18 first downs, 302 total yards, or 17 points of actual offense to anybody.

Kiffin is in his bag right now. The Rebels’ offense is elite. The Ole Miss program has never been in a better spot. Kiffin is enjoying himself, talking just about as much trash as he ever has in his career.

Good luck, Florida. With every passing week and every major victory, it’s looking like Kiffin is staying home at Ole Miss.

We’ll be back with more Ole Miss Rebels coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!

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