Paul Finebaum reveals if he thinks Lane Kiffin can win a national championship at Ole Miss

The Lane Kiffin saga continues into Egg Bowl week. There, he has a chance to all but clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff with a win. If secured, it would be the first time Ole Miss has ever made it to the CFP.

That success is part of what has made Kiffin keeping his coaching options open so surprising. He’s winning in Oxford, so why leave for Florida or LSU, where he needs to rebuild? Money isn’t a concern either. Over the weekend, On3’s Pete Nakos reported that Florida, LSU, and Ole Miss all have similar offers in the $13 million annual range in place for Kiffin.

Instead, it all may come down to a simple question. Can Kiffin win a national championship at Ole Miss? For pundit Paul Finebaum, the answer is simple, “No.” He explained on The Matt Barrie Show that while he respects what Ole Miss has built, he doesn’t see a way for Kiffin to win it all there. If Kiffin agrees, the decision to move on would make more sense.

“I hate to say that because I respect them,” Paul Finebaum said. “But I don’t think they can and I don’t think Lane Kiffin thinks they can, and I think that’s why we’re having this conversation.”

Ole Miss has certainly lacked the same historic success that either Florida or LSU has boasted. Ole Miss hasn’t won a national championship since 1962, before the football team was integrated. The Gators, meanwhile, have won three national championships since 1996 and three of the Tigers’ last four coaches have won national championships. So, from that respect, it’s easy to see why Finebaum or potentially even Kiffin might see an easier path at another school.

Of course, the sport has rapidly changed in the last few seasons. NIL and revenue sharing, not to mention the size of conferences and the postseason format, are all new. In the time Kiffin has been at Ole Miss, he’s led the Rebels to a 54-19 record. In that same time, Florida is 36-38 and LSU is 47-27.

Regardless of his reasoning or logic, Lane Kiffin is expected to make his decision soon. Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter met with his football coach on Friday to discuss the future. Shortly after, Carter announced that a decision will come down next Saturday, the day after the Egg Bowl.

Paul Finebaum also speculated about that meeting. Of course, for now, that is all just speculation about how Kiffin handled the meeting and what’s coming soon.

“My guess is, when he met with Chancellor Boyce and Keith Carter the other day, it was to tell them, ‘Listen, I’m not sure what I’m doing. You’re still in contention. Thanks for holding on. I will give you an update in a week.’ Because otherwise an announcement would have been made and the circus would have been over and anyone who’s ever been through anything on two or three levels that you have to the most important thing is your boss,” Finebaum said.

“You basically placate them by saying, ‘Hey, I hope you don’t mind. I’m dating two other girls right now. I will give you an answer about the senior prom Saturday after I go to Gainesville to visit my girlfriend there, and then go to Louisiana to visit my other girlfriend.’”

What Kiffin does after the Egg Bowl remains a guess. Hopefully, that decision won’t become a distraction for the team in their biggest rivalry game.