The denial took a bit longer than it should have. By now, however, all the signs and actions point to a very obvious possibility of Lane Kiffin declaring his choice to leave Ole Miss on Saturday.
And all that when the Kiffin circus is squandering the Rebels' best season of the decade.
As little sense as Kiffin leaving what would most likely finish as an 11-1 SEC team, the result of the stretched-out decision feels practically sure by now. If it was not, Kiffin's avoiding even the slightest questions about his future at Ole Miss made it even more convincing.
Paul Finebaum says what Lane Kiffin's silence can't
The SEC mouthpiece herd what Kiffin didn't say in his press conference on Monday, rather than what he said.
"Well, Greeny, he didn't say, 'I definitely will be here and coach my team in the College Football Playoff.' That is not difficult. You can ask any coach who is in the College Football Playoff poll right now and they will give you that answer. Kiffin nuanced it, which means one thing," Finebaum said to ESPN's Mike Greenberg.
"He's likely to leave."
.@finebaum weighs in on Lane Kiffin and his future at Ole Miss 👀 pic.twitter.com/Er5ZVR1pd6
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) November 25, 2025
"Otherwise, he simply has to say 'I just agreed to a new deal with Ole Miss. I'll be here the rest of my life. I'll be making zillions of dollars'."
AD Keith Carter waiting out until after the Rebels officially finish their regular season means sending a perfectly noticeable message. If they were to agree on a contract extension, the announcement would have hardly taken this long, especially this close to a College Football Playoff appearance.
Saturday would be the day they most likely pull the plug on the whole Kiffin drama overshadowing a rather spectacular season for Ole Miss.