Lane Kiffin sends message to Tennessee fans ahead of game vs Alabama

Tennessee fans may not be fond of Lane Kiffin, but the Ole Miss coach isn’t letting that get in the way of rooting for the Volunteers on Saturday.

Ahead of the gigantic SEC showdown with the Alabama Crimson Tide heading to Knoxville, the Rebels coach joined the College GameDay crew for an interview. Ever the polarizing figure with the fanbase, Kiffin had a shocking message for Tennessee fans that got a rise out of the crowd.

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Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin (who plays Auburn today) to #Tennessee fans: “Let’s go beat the state of Alabama today. Go Vols.” pic.twitter.com/26A0SYlwWW

— Alex Byington (@_AlexByington) October 15, 2022

“I mean, if you think I don’t know Tennessee is playing Alabama, I mean who doesn’t know that?” answered Kiffin, asked if his tunnel-vision on the Auburn Tigers prevented him from being excited about the huge SEC showdown. “You know, I don’t know what to say, except for hey, let’s go beat the state of Alabama today. Go Vols.”

And just like that, Tennessee fans in attendance swung back onto Kiffin’s good side.

Time will tell if both Ole Miss and Tennessee can leave the state of Alabama in despair on Saturday, but it could be a memorable college football afternoon if they do so. Regardless, Lane Kiffin is rebuilding his good-will in Knoxville by rooting for the Volunteers.

Paul Finebaum: Lane Kiffin doing a remarkable job at Ole Miss

Meanwhile, few believed Lane Kiffin could keep Ole Miss at the same pace after their great 10-3 season in 2021. The Rebels went through so much turnover that it wasn’t going to be difficult to gel and keep the winning going early. However, the exact opposite has been the case with the 6-0 start in Oxford, which is now home to the No. 9 team in the country. To Paul Finebaum, it has been one of the best coaching jobs in the nation so far this season.

Finebaum spoke with Matt Barrie to recap Week 6 and highlighted Ole Miss’ success. He says the transition of the Ole Miss roster is what has made their start so impressive.

“Give Lane Kiffin credit. He had Matt Corral last year. He had a lot of other key players (and) he just hit the reboot button with a whole new team,” said Finebaum. “It’s like a fantasy football team that you have to get rid of everybody. That’s a remarkable coaching job.”

Kiffin brought in 17 transfers compared to 19 freshmen during this offseason. They have been a pivotal piece of Ole Miss’ roster construction under Kiffin. While it is risky considering how the puzzle pieces may or may not fit, that hasn’t been the case for the Rebels to this point.

Ole Miss will control their own destiny the rest of the way. After facing Auburn this weekend, they’ll take on a five-game stretch featuring LSU, Texas A&M, Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi State. That tough, five-game stretch in the SEC West will make or break Kiffin’s team. Still, it allows them even more time to gel and be better prepared to take on that challenge.