Paul Finebaum: Lane Kiffin has Nick Saban next to a voodoo doll
As Lane Kiffin takes on Nick Saban this weekend, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum believes he’s employing an interesting strategy. Evidently, Finebaum believes the Ole Miss head coach using super-natural means to get to his former boss.
On The ESPN College Football Podcast, Finebaum said Kiffin has Saban next to a voodoo doll.
“The Alabama-Ole Miss game is probably going to decide the West. I mean, Ole Miss has a shot,” stated Finebaum. “They have a coach who’s the only coach that I know of in the SEC that you don’t start the game at a disadvantage. He (Lane Kiffin) has Nick Saban next to a voodoo doll — he just keeps sticking pins in him. That’s what gets him going.”
Additioanally, Finebaum believes that when Kiffin and Saban meet on Saturday, it’ll be an offensive onslaught.
“I think it’ll be fascinating,” said Finebaum. “It’s potentially the shootout of the year in the SEC.”
When Ole Miss travels to Tuscaloosa this weekend, it has potential to be the game of the year. Moreover, it’ll feature the two odds-on favorites for the Heisman Trophy at the moment — Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral and Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.
If Kiffin can knock Saban off, Alabama fans may claim voodoo magic as the cause. However, the more likely scenario is Ole Miss’ blazing offense taking care of business.
Lane Kiffin trolls Nick Saban
Recently, Kiffin has become sort-of a social media savant. For his latest joke, Saban served as part of the punchline.
Prior to the beginning of the college football season, Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler was an overwhelming favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Moreover, by most oddsmakers, he was listed at roughly +500. At the time, Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral was +2500.
Nearly four weeks into the season, however, the tides have turned in drastic fashion. As Rattler has fallen far from the frontrunner, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young isreaching closer to the No. 1 spot, with Corral being priced as the favorite. Additionally, some oddsmakers are listing him as low as +200.
Through three weeks, Corral has been extremely impressive. So much so, national analysts are taking the Ole Miss signal caller as their Heisman Trophy favorite. Saturday on FOX Sports’ Big Noon Kickoff, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush picked Corral to win the Heisman trophy — to which Lane Kiffin responded with emojis suggesting their picks are “rat poison.”
The rat poison phrase, of course, is a nod of sorts to Saban, who in 2017 famously said, “all that stuff you write about how good we are, all that stuff they hear on ESPN, it’s like poison. It’s like taking poison. … Like rat poison.”
But regardless of whether Kiffin labels it rat poison, there’s plenty fair reason to consider Corral for the Heisman Trophy, even after just three games. Ole Miss is 3-0, and Corral has thrown for 997 yards — holding a completion percentage as high as 68.8 — and has thrown for nine passing touchdowns with no interceptions.
As he faces his biggest test yet, we’ll see if Kiffin and Corral can take down Saban and Young this weekend.