Everything Lane Kiffin said during SEC Teleconference ahead of Alabama

Alabama week is here for No. 11 Ole Miss and another chance for Lane Kiffin to get a win over his former boss in Nick Saban.

Last year did not go so well for the third-year Ole Miss head coach after his now infamous “get your popcorn ready” line in pre game.

But this is a slightly different Alabama this year with two losses and ranked No. 9 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, eliminating them from a national championship run.

Before any popcorn might be had and the ball is teed up on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Kiffin made his weekly appearance on the SEC Coaches Teleconference on Wednesday.

Kiffin doubled down on his disagreement of Paul Finebaum’s comments about the Alabama – Nick Saban dynasty being over from Monday.

Other topics included his thoughts on the play of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and the challenges presenting the Ole Miss secondary this weekend.

Here is everything Kiffin said during Wednesday’s call.

OPENING STATEMENT

Lane Kiffin: “Good to have some guys healthy and back this week. Getting ready to play at home in front of a great crowd, long home winning-streak and the best program around for years coming in. Always a challenge when you play Alabama, especially with a returning Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback. A lot different than the old Alabama to have a quarterback like that. He kind of puts his Superman cape on takes some games over.”

WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN OUT OF BRYCE YOUNG, DEVELOPMENT WISE, AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ALABAMA RECEIVERS

Lane Kiffin: “Well, like I said, he’s kind of put on his Superman cape a number of times this year and brought them back in games and taken over games. He’s an ultra-elite passer that is very hard to get down and what I was kind of eluding to, you think about the old Alabama teams without prior quarterbacks. Not elite, first round, Heisman winner type of quarterback. It changes the game because at any point when teams have done well against them he can bring them right back.”

DO YOU THINK BLAKE SIMS WOULD TAKE UMBRAGE TO WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT THERE?

Lane Kiffin: “He might, but Blake didn’t win a Heisman Trophy. So, this is a very, very elite player and its why he was the best player in the country last year and they have the best defensive player in the country on the same team. It’s not like he’s at corner where you can just throw it the other way.”

DEFENSIVELY, IN YOUR SECONDARY WITH OTIS REESE, WHAT KIND OF SEASON HAS HE HAD FOR YOU AND THAT SECONDARY, HOW MUCH ARE THEY GOING TO BE TESTED ON SATURDAY?

Lane Kiffin: “I think a lot. (Alabama) has very talented receivers and obviously we talked about the quarterback and a running back that is extremely talented in the passing game. We’re going to be tested a lot on defense. We played well earlier in the year, have not played well the last three games so this is a big challenge.”

HOW DO YOU THINK OTIS REESE HAS DONE FOR YOU THIS YEAR?

Lane Kiffin: “Otis has done a good job. Kind of plays that outside linebacker – safety position for us. So, he’s been very valuable.”

HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK THE ‘GOAT FUEL’ THAT’S BEEN TALKED ABOUT THIS WEEK BEEN A MOTIVATING FACTOR FOR NICK SABAN AND HIS PREPARATION FOR THE GAME?

Lane Kiffin: “I don’t his staff but off the top of my head, I mean, maybe since the first year he was there he’s never lost after a loss. So that should tell you how well he does in motivating the guys after a loss. One of you guys can look that up, but I’m going to bet he’s undefeated since his first year at Alabama. In the regular season outside of that Iron Bowl loss followed by the Sugar Bowl loss.

“He does a phenomenal job at it and even though his intensity is always ups I think it’s even more up after a loss.”

HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE YOUR RELATIONSHIP, RIGHT NOW, WITH SABAN?

Lane Kiffin: “It’s good. We see each other at the meetings and talk and actually (at) the last one sat down and had breakfast with Kirby (Smart) and Billy Napier. So it was kind of like an old staff meeting. It was an awesome experience there to learn from him and one that kind of, as you get further away, you even have more appreciation for everything he did for me and everything I learned from him and for him taking a chance on me and really saving my career.”

WHO WAS THE BEST BASKETBALL PLAYER OUT OF THAT QUARTET?

Lane Kiffin: “I actually, which you probably wouldn’t believe, never went over for basketball and I’ll tell you why. They recruited me to go over but they told me, ‘Hey, coach picks the teams, coach picks who guards him and you can’t foul him and you got to let him score,’ and I said well I’m not doing that, that’s not in my DNA. So I never once went to to the noon hoops.”

HAVE YOU BEEN READING THE LEADERSHIP BOOK ON NICK SABAN AND WONDERED WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT AND WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED FROM IT?

Lane Kiffin: “Actually the author (John Talty) sent me a copy. Actually it was opened like a week ago on the plane during the bye week. I glanced at it and read a little bit of it. Pretty in detail. A lot of situations. Well written.”

YOU SEEMED TO PUSH BACK ON THE SABAN DYNASTY COMMENTS THIS WEEK. FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE WHY DO YOU THINK THAT’S UNTRUE. WHY DO YOU THINK ALABAMA’S STILL POSITIONED FOR THE FUTURE?

Lane Kiffin: “Well I think, and I understand. It’s your guys job, it’s the media’s job, it’s Paul (Finebaum’s) job especially to just create attention and create a storyline. Once he said what he did he got a lot of attention. But it’s ridiculous. When you really dive into coaching and not just a result of a game (and) go, ‘Okay. Tennessee, loudest place, the whole thing and then if Alabama just makes a kick then Tennessee can’t win the game and Alabama wins the game.’ Then you go down to a two-point play and it’s 50 percent either way. The guy is literally one foot from being stopped short. If he’s stopped short, okay, or the guy misses it. One play. Now they’re undefeated and either No. 1 or No. 2 in the country.

“Those statements would be, if they were getting beat 14-21 points or something, that would be different. It really is ridiculous but I understand. That’s just what you need to do in the media to have something to talk about.

“Dynasties are over when you start to see people being out-coached, out-played. Losing by 21 points. You’re talking about two of the hardest places versus two really elite teams that at the time were as hot as anybody in the country as they went into both of those places. And elite quarterbacks and down to one play.”