Joel Klatt claims Lane Kiffin is becoming a distraction for Ole Miss players

The College Football Playoffs are right around the corner and excitement couldn’t be higher in the sport. Well, for most people, that is. Lane Kiffin might have a more mixed answer on that.

For a select few, the next few weeks are likely to be the source of some significant headaches. Kiffin summed it up best on Wednesday on an SEC teleconference call when he was grilled about how it feels to be one of the most coveted coaches on this year’s coaching carousel.

“It doesn’t feel good on this call,” Kiffin said. Pointing out a cruel reality in the sport, in a way.

It’s something analysts and coaches alike have pointed to in recent years as things have shifted with NIL and the transfer portal. In fact, FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt attacked the topic again Thursday on The Joel Klatt Show.

“Can we please fix the calendar?” Klatt said. “We yell and scream about some of the dumbest things in college football and the most obvious things to fix are right in front of our eyes. And we’re starting to see that come to head with the Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin issue.”

While his team vies for a spot in the playoffs, Kiffin is ostensibly fielding interest or outright job offers from the likes of Florida and LSU. Though reporting is fluid on the topic, it seems fairly clear that Kiffin is one of the most sought-after coaches this cycle.

And while some others have already been pursued and reached new terms with their respective programs, Lane Kiffin has not. That makes for some uncomfortable waiting for several parties.

“If he wanted to be there, he would have already said it,” Klatt pointed out. “We’ve got (Mike) Elko with an extension, we’ve got (Curt) Cignetti with an extension, we’ve got (Kenny) Dillingham saying he’s staying, we’ve got Dan Lanning saying he’s staying. We’ve got who else? Matt Rhule with an extension. All these guys have been named and thrown out there, and all you’ve got to do, Lane, is say you’re staying. That’s all you’ve got to do.

“And if you don’t, more animus is going to pop up and it’s going to be harder and harder to stay the longer this goes. And it’s too bad.”

It’s too bad, in part, because it could potentially be avoidable for Kiffin and coaches like him. There doesn’t have to be a world where the playoffs coincide with the transfer portal and coach-hiring season.

“I don’t love this from a calendar perspective, and you know who I don’t like it for?” Klatt said. “I don’t really care about all the coaches in this, because they’re grown-ups. I care about the players. And you can tell me, ‘The players are getting paid and it’s all fine.’ Yeah, but it still sucks.

“You think about these guys that have committed to Ole Miss, that gone through it all and tried to put themselves into position to go compete for a championship. Well part of that is that they need their play-caller. Because part of Lane’s gift is that he is a great play-caller on Saturdays. That team without Lane Kiffin, not nearly as good. Not nearly as good.”

And yet that’s the position Ole Miss finds itself in. It’s just waiting, in a weird world where even a reported ultimatum might make some sense, for its coach to either make a decision or rebuke interest.

So far, Lane Kiffin has done neither. So the Rebels are left in the lurch.

“I don’t feel either way, he can stay or leave,” Klatt said. “But I’m just saying this gray area is hurting. It’s absolutely hurting.”