Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin dropped a loaded accusation on Oklahoma head coach BrentVenables, writing the script for the perfect pre-game drama.
Venables, however, had other plans by responding in the most non-dramatic way possible. The Sooners' head coach took it in the most optimistic way he could, as a compliment.
And after the whole exchange made headlines as sign-stealing accusations, Kiffin clarified his take on Venables.
"They do a great job of overall, everything. Playing plays. The signal thing, that’s a compliment. Part of your job is to ready your players all week for the plays that come and then try to figure out on game day what they are," Kiffin said in his weekly SEC Coaches teleconference.
"They do a great job. Coach (Venables) has talked for years and he’s done this for a long time. He’s always been one of the elite information-gatherers during the game. That’s a better term."
That is Kiffin standing by what he said earlier, just repackaging it in an optimistic way.
Regardless of the controversial sign-stealing accusations, Kiffin believes that Venables' offense is elite enough to make it a growing concern for Ole Miss this Saturday.
Venables knew exactly what he was doing when he took over the defensive play-calling duties. Now, the OU has the top-scoring defense nationally. Not to mention, they are equally brutal in turnovers and sacks.
Kiffin is definitely concerned about it, but the Rebels' offense has been what got them a six-win streak this season. It is their best strength, one that they will be running at full throttle.
It will only be a game of who among Ole Miss's offense and Oklahoma's defense overpowers the other.