Lane Kiffin reveals message to Ole Miss players ahead of Egg Bowl

With outside noise swirling and emotions high for a rivalry game, Lane Kiffin’s message was simple. He told his Ole Miss players to go get a victory and experience a joy they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.

It was an emotional day in Starkville as tensions ran high during Ole Miss at Mississippi State. But the Rebels stayed the course and eventually cruised to the 38-19 victory, securing their first-ever 11-win regular season. During his postgame interview on ESPN, Kiffin made it clear his message was about joy heading into the game.

Speaking with reporters in his press conference, he reiterated that. Kiffin saw the emotions on the players’ faces, showing the joy he sought, as they virtually secured a spot in the College Football Playoff.

“What an awesome day, just to watch our players at the end,” Kiffin said, via The Rebel Walk. “I told them last night, as you get older, you get joy from others. I just wanted them to get 1-0 today.”

The eyes of the college football world are on Kiffin’s future as rumors continue to swirl about whether he will stay at Ole Miss or leave. Florida and LSU have been front-and-center the last few weeks, but On3 insiders reported the Gators are shifting their attention toward other targets. On3’s Pete Nakos also detailed what the steps could be for each program, depending on what Kiffin decides.

That’s a lot of noise while preparing for not only a rivalry game, but one that could propel Ole Miss toward its first-ever CFP berth. All the while, Lane Kiffin said the players do their best to put blinders on and maintain the focus on the task at hand.

Kiffin also compared it to his tenure at Florida Atlantic before he left for Ole Miss. The news broke ahead of the season finale against UAB, which the Owls won 49-6.

“What you may think is distracting, I don’t think it is,” Kiffin said. “We train our players to focus on what they can control, and block out noise. At FAU, there’s an announcement we’re coming here, and we go out and win 49-6. I wasn’t concerned this week.”

As Week 14 continues, there will be plenty of anticipation regarding Kiffin’s future. Ole Miss AD Keith Carter previously said a decision would come Saturday, following Friday’s Egg Bowl in Starkville.