When Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and his players took the stage at SEC Media Days on July 15, they all talked about their players and their goals. Mississippi State was one of the teams talking today, with linebacker John Lewis taking his chance to swipe at their rivals.
During his time with the media, Lewis was asked about the Rebels' 'Come to the Sip' mantra, with the Bulldogs linebacker choosing to take that opportunity to jab at Ole Miss.
"“It’s overrated. This is our state. Everybody knows that. We run the Sip because we run Mississippi. We’ve been saying it. They’re just following us, so it’s OK. They literally want to be us.”"John Lewis on the Ole Miss mantra
I wouldn't expect anything less from a rival player who talks a little smack about their rivals. These rivalries help shape college football; it's always good fun as long as they stay clean.
That said, John Lewis has forgotten that since Lane Kiffin was hired as the Ole Miss head coach, the Rebels are 3-1 in the Egg Bowl. So yeah, Mississippi State may have been referred to as the 'Sip' first, but Kiffin has decided that since he came to Ole Miss, the Rebels are running it, and it's hard to argue that they aren't.
All the top transfer portal players are indeed doing as the "Come to the Sip" mantra says, with Ole Miss having a top-three transfer portal class in the last three years. Maybe John Lewis doesn't like that Ole Miss is the number destination in Mississippi, but recent results also prove that it's true.
New Mississippi head coach Jeff Lebby hopes to start turning that narrative around, but it will take some effort. Since the rivalry began, Ole Miss leads Mississippi State in the series, 65-46-6.
The 2024 Egg Bowl, which has been switched to the day after Thanksgiving this year, is starting to get tastier. With these comments from John Lewis and the history with Jeff Lebby at Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin, that's a rivalry game we are looking forward to.