Kirk Herbstreit: Ole Miss must let Lane Kiffin coach CFP, even if LSU deal is coming

Kirk Herbstreit believes Ole Miss is facing an unprecedented dilemma, and it’s one that’s been created by both success and uncertainty. Speaking on ESPN’s College GameDay Saturday morning, Herbstreit said the Lane Kiffin situation has become far trickier because of how good this year’s Rebels team actually is. 

With the program sitting on the doorstep of the College Football Playoff, he argued Ole Miss can’t make decisions based on emotion, even if Kiffin ultimately chooses to leave Oxford.

“The tricky part is the year Ole Miss is having,” Herbstreit said. “Forget Atlanta and the SEC Championship. This team is a team you don’t want to play in the CFP right now. So, I think if you’re in charge at Ole Miss and if Lane decides to go elsewhere, you need to set your emotions to the side. You need to look at 2025 and this team with their coach, and give them a chance to finish this run.”

Herbstreit went a step further, pointing out the player perspective, which makes the stakes even heavier. Several Ole Miss players have publicly said they want Kiffin to coach them through the postseason, even if his long-term future lies elsewhere.

That places the administration in a difficult position. Will they allow a potentially LSU-bound coach to guide a historic season, or pivot early and risk derailing the program’s best shot at a national title?

Then came Herbstreit’s most telling point, and it’s one that hints at where this saga may be headed: “If he were going to stay at Ole Miss — Eli Drinkwitz has already re-upped. Clark Lea has re-upped. Don’t you think we would have already seen him re-upping and staying at Ole Miss?” he asked. “So chances are he’s going to Baton Rouge.”

Still, Herbstreit believes Ole Miss should embrace the moment, not the politics: “Look at this as a magical year,” he said. “You’ve never done what you’re doing right now. Let Lane Kiffin — if he leaves — and these players finish the run this year.”

With the regular season coming to a close and the Rebels firmly in the CFP hunt, the decision looming in Oxford might be as complex and as consequential as any in college football. We’ll get some clarity on Saturday, but the jury remains out as of now.