Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has yet to witness many plaudits from SEC Networks Paul Finebaum. During his time at USC and Tennessee, Finebaum has looked to target Kiffin with negative comments.
Kiffin has fired back over the years, creating a feud between the two. When Kiffin was hired as the Ole Miss head coach, that feud settled down. However, Finebaum looks to have reignited that, with comments made on a recent appearance on the Berry Tramel Show.
When Tramel asked Finebaum if the Rebels had the roster to make the College Football Playoffs under Lane Kiffin, Finebaum said, "I would say no." However, instead of backing up his reason for thinking they wouldn't, he fired a barrage of negative comments about the Ole Miss head coach.
""Everyone in the media, Berry, we're on the older statesman side of it, is in love with Lane Kiffin. They think he's hilarious. I don't think he's that funny. I don't think his tweets are that interesting, and his coaching has been underwhelming at times. Ill believe it when I see it""Paul Finebaum on the Berry Tramel Show
SEC Network analyst Paul @finebaum joined @BerryTramel and has some choice words regarding Ole Miss head coach @Lane_Kiffin:
— Brad Logan (@BradLoganCOTE) July 3, 2024
"Everyone in the media is in love with Lane Kiffin.” “They think he's hilarious. I don't think he's that funny.”
WATCH: pic.twitter.com/7FYUlLZO7T
Finebaum could have said something about the roster or the teams Ole Miss will face as reasons to support his answer. Instead, he chose to go after Kiffin with three or four negative comments.
Finebaum says Kiffin has been underwhelming as a head coach
Yes, Paul Finebaum said Kiffin's coaching has been underwhelming "at times," but with the Rebels coming off an 11-2 season, it seems a strange statement.
The offense that played a significant role in getting them to 11 wins returns a high percentage of its starters while adding more high-caliber players via the transfer portal. The defense has been improved drastically thanks to the portal, bringing in SEC-proven players such as Walter Nolen, Princely Umanmielen, and Chris Paul Jr. This team is built to be a playoff team.
Lane Kiffin has had down years, but for Finebaum to call his coaching underwhelming at times, right after the most successful season in program history, is odd, especially after he has continued with his high recruiting strategy via the transfer portal.
Of course, opinions make the sport great; this felt more like an attack on Lane Kiffin than why Ole Miss isn't going to make the College Football Playoff.