Lane Kiffin Details Emotions of Watching Ole Miss in CFP Amid Departure for LSU

Kiffin orchestrated a historic 2025 season in Oxford, now watching Ole Miss make run for a National Championship.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin talks with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) during a college football game between Mississippi State and Ole Miss at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. Ole Miss defeated Mississippi State 38-19 in the Egg Bowl. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lane Kiffin remains in headlines following his departure from the Ole Miss Rebels after accepting the head coaching job with the LSU Tigers last month.

In what became the storyline of the 2025 college football season, Kiffin departed Oxford amid a College Football Playoff run for a Southeastern Conference rival on Nov. 30 - two days removed from the regular season finale.

But the move has seen a myriad of ripple effects ever since with nearly 20 staffers being moved from one program to the other.

LSU has hired double-digit assistants and front office figures from Ole Miss where they will be following Kiffin while multiple LSU staffers are heading to Oxford to join the Rebels.

Fast forward to Saturday night's LSU Tigers Texas Bowl matchup against the Houston Cougars and Kiffin joined the ESPN broadcast where he revealed his thoughts on the Ole Miss College Football Playoff run and recent staff moves.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

Lane Kiffin's Take: Ole Miss' College Football Playoff Run

The Staff Juggling Duties at LSU and Ole Miss

Kiffin isn't on the sidelines, but his assistant coaches that followed him from Ole Miss to LSU are where they helped lead the Rebels to a first-round matchup win over Tulane.

It's been chaotic with the coaching staffers juggling duties for both Ole Miss and Kiffin's LSU Tigers where he broke down the process.

“They’re doing a great job,” Kiffin said during Saturday’s Texas Bowl. “We saw the performance in the last game. They came back down here after that game, came down here for a couple of days, and now they’re back there. I was just on the phone with [offensive coordinator] Charlie Weis.

"We were talking about quarterback rankings, just we were going over them tonight. So, sometimes we have our staff meetings, even though they’re back there, when Pete is done with his. Then, we get on and have our own.

"We’re just trying to make it work for both sides so Ole Miss can have the best chance of winning a national championship and we can also be building what we are here.”

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

Kiffin's Thoughts on the Win Over Tulane:

“It was awesome,” Kiffin said. “It was a great day. It really was. I’m not just saying that. To watch those guys and how much they were smiling having that success.

"It was the biggest game in the history of the state of Mississippi. To blow out Tulane like that, it was awesome watching them. I was really excited for them.”

More Ole Miss News:

Lane Kiffin Reacts to New Offensive Coordinator Being Hired By Ole Miss Football

Ole Miss Football QB Trinidad Chambliss Wins Major Award Amid Breakout Season

ESPN Predicts Outcome of Ole Miss Football vs. Tulane Green Wave in CFP Showdown

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