Paul Finebaum Considers Ole Miss Football's Lane Kiffin as Replacement for LSU Tigers

The Ole Miss Rebels (7-1, 4-1 SEC) continue stealing headlines in 2025 with Lane Kiffin's program taking America by storm across the first nine weeks of the season.

After capturing a Top-15 win over the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday, the Rebels' College Football Playoff chances grew significantly with four games to go. this fall.

For Kiffin, the Ole Miss decision-maker tuned out the noise and had his program prepared for a challenge against the No. 13 ranked team in the land.

“I think it says a lot about them,” Kiffin said postgame. “Because when you have had something happen to you previously in a season, let alone seven days ago, and that same feeling comes back again. ‘Here we go, again. We’re ahead, alright, game’s kind of in our control. Oh way, now they’re scoring a lot easier. We’re not moving like we were.’

"Same Georgia feeling. Crowd started coming alive. Then, obviously, much different response by us.”

Now, with Ole Miss in the midst of a 7-1 start to the season - along with the coaching carousel heating up - Kiffin has stolen headlines as a hot commodity.

The Florida Gators job remains one that Kiffin has been linked to as a potential candidate, but ESPN's Paul Finebaum believes there's another SEC gig to keep tabs on: LSU.

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers are in the midst of a disappointing season in Baton Rouge with the program falling to 5-3 on Saturday night in a 49-25 loss to Texas A&M.

If the LSU administration elected to move on from Kelly in the future, would Kiffin be a name to monitor?

“I’ll just make it simple, LSU is a better job than Florida. Florida has been devalued. I talked to (Tim) Tebow about that yesterday, and most of what you talk about with Florida is in the past. I mean, they have fired four straight coaches,” Finebaum said Sunday morning on The Matt Barrie Show podcast.

“And LSU is a lot different than that. Yeah, they fire a few coaches now and then, but they usually pay it off, and they’re capable of doing that. It’s just a completely different world. Kiffin’s quirky, and would he fit LSU? Probably would. He maybe fits that mindset a little better. Florida is a collection of a lot of different interests and politics, where LSU, if you win, you’re going to be OK at LSU.”

Ole Miss is coming off of a significant win on Saturday against Oklahoma with Kiffin earning his first SEC win on the road against a ranked opponent during his time in Oxford.

But Finebaum believes he could listen to outside offers.

“Listen, winning at Oklahoma is a big deal. … That’s one of the biggest wins he’s had. Now last year at home against Georgia probably meant a little more and then he threw it away. (But Kiffin is) in really good shape. I think he’s in the Playoff now, it’s just a matter of how he negotiates the rest of the season,” Finebaum said.

“And … not to start more speculation, but Lane Kiffin to LSU, that resonates equal or even more than the (Florida opening). The good news for Ole Miss fans, (in addition to) the fact that Ole Miss is in the Playoff, but the portal window is late this year, which makes it palatable that you can get two games in before the window opens, and that’s a big, big deal.”

Ole Miss Rebels Football: Trinidad Chambliss. — Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

No. 8 Ole Miss will return to action next Saturday for a matchup against the South Carolina Gamecocks with kickoff set for 6 p.m. CT at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

More Ole Miss News:

Instant Takeaways: Ole Miss Football Takes Down Oklahoma Sooners in 34-26 Win

Ole Miss Football Great Doubles Down on Lane Kiffin to Florida Gators 'Not Happening'

Tony Vitello Pokes Fun at Ole Miss Football's Lane Kiffin in Goodbye to Tennessee

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