Kiffin’s Future Raises Questions

Booger McFarland feels that Lane Kiffin deserves an opportunity to coach in the College Football Playoff, regardless of his potential move from Mississippi to LSU.

Kiffin may decide to stay at Ole Miss or take the LSU job as early as Saturday. This comes after he led the Running Rebels to an impressive 11-1 finish, capped off by a 38-19 victory over Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Friday.

Currently, Ole Miss holds the No. 7 spot in the CFP rankings. McFarland, who is an analyst with ABC/ESPN and a former LSU player, expressed that it would be a “travesty” if Kiffin were to leave Oxford for Baton Rouge and not be able to coach his team in the upcoming 12-team national championship tournament.

“You have to finish what you start,” McFarland remarked during Friday night’s broadcast. “This program began in the spring. The kids put in a lot of effort over the summer and this moment is about Ole Miss making the playoffs. That’s the reality right now.”

He went on to state, “If Lane decides to leave, he should be allowed to finish what he started. The only reason that shouldn’t happen would be if personal feelings come into play, because if you’re at Ole Miss, you might be upset that he chose to leave.”

That’s not typically something we see in college athletics.

“But there’s a chance for a significant message here: ‘I brought us this far, but now you’re upset over my decisions? You won’t allow me to finish what I started?’” McFarland continued. “If Lane quits, I think it would be a real loss for him not to be able to complete the job. I believe the players would want that, definitely.”

“If you’re at Ole Miss, why wouldn’t you want him to stay? The only logical reason could be…I’m not sure, personal feelings perhaps?”

The chatter around Kiffin’s future has intensified recently, especially after he mentioned that quarterback Trinidad Chambliss had his jersey taken by a Mississippi State supporter prior to the game and that there was a skirmish on the bench during the second quarter.

Kiffin, who is 50, has been with Ole Miss since 2020, achieving a 54-19 record and leading the team to a bowl game every year.

In contrast, LSU (with a record of 7-4) fired Brian Kelly in late October and formally issued a termination letter earlier this week, which included a full payout of $54 million over six years.