Skip to main content

Lane Kiffin: The playing field in college football 'is all over the place' due to the transfer portal

11by: Jake Thompson09/20/23JakeThompsonOn3
NCAA Football: Georgia Tech at Mississippi
Sep 16, 2023; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin walks down the Walk of Champions prior to the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

The transfer portal and NIL are two topics that Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has never shied away from in giving his blunt opinion.

The fourth year Rebels coach got the opportunity to broach the subject a little further on Wednesday during the weekly SEC Coaches Teleconference.

One of the major talking points through three weeks has been the overall play of the Southeastern Conference. With losses to Power 5 teams and non-Power 5 teams, plus some surprising results in conference play it has caused the question of if the SEC is no longer the powerhouse conference it has been for over a decade.

Kiffin was asked that question coming off this weekend’s slate of games that saw Alabama struggle to put away South Florida and Georgia have to rally from a 11-point deficit to South Carolina. The Ole Miss coach views it more of a cause-and-effect from the invention of NIL and the transfer portal.

“I just think the playing field’s all over the place in college football and SEC,” Kiffin said. “I think because of the portal and I think what you’re going to see is you guys, media, predictions at the beginning of the year over time, same time this year (to) last year are probably going to be really off and hard to do because you got all these new pieces that are harder to fit together.

“I’m not worried about the West and it being wide open. We got to go play Alabama who (has) the best home-winning record over the last decade in the entire country.”

BIG GAME OFFER: Join the Ole Miss Spirit for 50 percent off an annual subscription

Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding (©Bruce Newman)

Kiffin is focused fully on Alabama and so is another coach on his staff that very familiar with this weekend’s opponent.

Pete Golding made the move from Alabama’s defensive coordinator to take the same position at Ole Miss.

Much has been made about this week and if Golding is putting any extra pressure on himself due to returning to Tuscaloosa four games into his new job. Golding’s new players have not noticed a difference in his demeanor throughout the week’s practices or meetings.

Kiffin does not see much stock in there being a connection or Ole Miss having an advantage with Golding now on its sideline.

“I think that’s overblown,” Kiffin said. “Just being there and knowing the place does not translate into winning or that would be very different. I think way too much is made of that.”

You may also like