The Petty King has returned in classic fashion; during a recent Q&A on Monday, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin lobbed some subtle and not-so-subtle jabs at the Aggies.
Ole Miss is currently ranked in the top ten with a few NFL-ready players on the roster as they look to move to 5-1, staying in the hunt for the SEC Title. Kiffin has his team humming right now and has all the confidence in the world in his players and staff. He made sure to acknowledge that at the expense of Jimbo and the Aggies.
Lane Kiffin starting Texas A&M Week strong.
Discussing a top 10 ranking 3 seasons in a row:
"To be able to do that, especially when you are going up against a program you would think would be the team in the top 10 with their roster."
Added Jimbo's goal is to be bowl eligible pic.twitter.com/Gy8OgwLl3h
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) October 31, 2023
Sometimes in life, it’s about the message, not the messenger, and Kiffin did spit out a few facts. While Kiffin will do the “woe is me” shtick when talking about NIL and recruiting, he has a solid point that even though he does not have a talent on paper, he does more with less. Also, in week 10, the Rebels are in a position to play for an SEC championship, while the Aggies hope to make a decent bowl game this year.
It’s not like Kiffin has been lighting the world on fire either after getting a 10-win season and bowl game lost in 2021, while his team started off blazing hot in 2022 before losing 4 of their final five games, culminating in a blowout loss in the Texas Bowl. Unfortunately, there is not much the Aggies can hang their hat on because they haven’t fared much better over the same period.
Do I think Ole Miss will be representing the SEC West in the title game next month – No. Do I think that Ole Miss will win their bowl game – No, and as much as I want to call Kiffin a troll for his comments, I didn’t hear anything untrue or out of line.
To wrap this up, it is a big game for both teams. Ole Miss is looking to stay alive in the SEC Title race to make a run at the College Playoffs. A Texas A&M win makes them bowl-eligible after missing out in 2022 and skipping the bowl game in 2021. Probably the most critical aspect is bragging rights. With re-alignment taking shape in 2024, this matchup will sadly end, at least until 2025.
Texas A&M will now travel to Oxford (MS) to face the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Nov. 5, where the game will again air on ESPN at 11:00 a.m. CT.
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