Everything Lane Kiffin said about Mississippi State on Monday

The Rebels coach didn't answer any questions about his coaching future, but did answer questions about the Bulldogs.

Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin watches pregame warmups against the Florida Gators at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

No. 6 Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin has been front-and-center in the spotlight of the college football world for more than a week now.

It's no secret that Florida and LSU both want to hire Kiffin as their next head coach while the Rebels are preparing to face Mississippi State and possibly host a College Football Playoff game.

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It's a potentially huge distraction that could be to the Bulldogs' benefit in Friday's game at Davis Wade Stadium.

On Monday, Kiffin had his first media availability in two weeks and first since the noise around his coaching future rose to heavy metal concert decibel levels

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Kiffin declined to answer questions about his coaching future and the upcoming decision he has to make that'll be announced officially Saturday (and probably unofficially announced before the Egg Bowl kicks off). He did answer other questions, and a few of them were questions about Mississippi State.

Here's what Kiffin said about Mississippi State and its head coach Jeff Lebby at his Monday afternoon press conference.

Opening statement…

This is a huge game. It’s the next one on the schedule, and the goal is to go 1–0. Mississippi State is talented. I think Jeff Lebby has done a great job making them competitive — they took Texas and Tennessee into overtime this year and have really improved. There’s a lot at stake, and we’re excited for the matchup and the chance to finish off a great regular season.

You’ve coached in many Egg Bowls. How does this one feel different with both teams fighting for major stakes?

Coach Lebby has them in position to reach bowl eligibility, and of course there’s a lot at stake for us. But I’ve always said in rivalries, the records don’t matter. You see it every year — games go differently than the spreads or predictions say. Rivalry games stand on their own.

What’s your relationship with Jeff Lebby like, given your time coaching together?

I think Jeff is one of the best offensive minds in football. He did great work here, and I have a lot of respect for him. I also think Mississippi State hiring him reflects well on Ole Miss. He’s not just a good coach — he’s a great person.