The moment everybody has been waiting for has finally arrived, as Lane Kiffin travels back to Oxford for a clash against his former Ole Miss team, the same team he left behind after leading them to the best season in program history. With both teams ranked in the top 10 heading into Week 3, Saturday's matchup between two of the SEC's best should be a spectacle. For Ole Miss, though, there's an added layer: the pressure to send a message to Kiffin.
According to Rebels athletic director Keith Carter, how Kiffin left still stings for a lot of fans, who accuse him of intentionally trying to hurt the team on his way out. "Had he just left and gone on his way and focused on LSU, we would have been disappointed. But OK, that's what he wanted," Carter said.
"The problem is he tried to manipulate the players and the coaches on his way out and work behind the scenes to hurt us." More news: Alabama Fans Calling for Crimson Tide Assistant to Replace HC Kalen DeBoer More news: Lane Kiffin Takes Aim at Ole Miss Ahead of Emotional Return to Oxford Kiffin spent six years building Ole Miss into a legitimate national championship contender, and last season it actually felt like the Rebels could go all the way. Ole Miss went 11-1 in the regular season, with its only loss coming at Georgia in Week 8, and clinched a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. Then, just two days after beating Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl, Kiffin boarded a private jet and left for LSU.
But Kiffin didn't just leave for another program, he also tried to tear down the one he'd built in the process. Kiffin reportedly wanted to keep coaching Ole Miss through the playoffs, and after the school said no, he threatened to immediately pull his offensive coaches with him to LSU. Players found out and confronted him about it.
About half of the Ole Miss staff ended up following Kiffin to Baton Rouge, and he reportedly tried to lure several players away as well. Simply put, the whole thing was a mess, and fans haven't forgotten. Leaving for a better job is normal in college football.
Actively trying to damage the program you're leaving on your way out, in the middle of a playoff run, no less, is different. It's easy to see why Ole Miss has beefed up security for Saturday's matchup. More news: Florida State President Sends Clear Message About Mike Norvell’s Future
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