Dick Vitale predicts Lane Kiffin to stay at Ole Miss

Legendary ESPN personality Dick Vitale dove into college football Saturday and predicted Lane Kiffin to stay at Ole Miss. While the coach is being wooed by LSU, Kiffin has a massive, and college football landscape altering, decision on his hands.

“My gut says Lane Kiffin stays at Ole Miss!,” Vitale wrote on Twitter. Ole Miss fans are surely hoping his gut is right!

The Rebels beat Mississippi State 38-19 Friday afternoon to finish the regular season 11-1 and all but lock up a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time. They could add to their history if they get granted a spot in the SEC Championship.

But either way, CFP, SEC title game, whatever the case may be, Kiffin’s future is completely up in the air. He said he’ll do a lot of praying over the decision.

“No, I haven’t (made up my mind),” Kiffin told ESPN’s Taylor McGregor on the broadcast Friday. “I’ve got a lot of praying to do to figure that out tomorrow, but right now, I’m just going to go enjoy these players. I told them last night, you’re going to win your 11th game, and all I want to do is experience joy watching you, and that’s what I’m about to do.”

A lot weighs in on the decision, considering the reported financial investment from both schools looks to be the same in terms of salary and NIL promises. Legendary coach Nick Saban claimed Kiffin’s choice might come down to where he can acquire better players.

Is that through the transfer portal, NIL or high school recruiting? All of it combined?

“I think Lane’s decision is going to come down to one thing: where is the place that I can recruit the best players? And I think one of Lane’s apprehensions is that he’s had to use the portal to build his team at Ole Miss each year,” Saban said. “At LSU, he probably could recruit better talent and then just supplement his team by need with the portal.

“That’s probably the dilemma that he has, as well as his loyalty to his team that he’s coaching now that he wants to be able to continue to coach. So it’s a tough thing to have the right answer to.”