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Paul Finebaum of the SEC Network and Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin have had a longstanding feud that spans over a decade.
It all began when Kiffin was the head coach of the USC Trojans. During his four seasons at USC, he achieved a record of 28-15 but was famously fired on the tarmac at the airport after returning from a game in 2013.
Kiffin has long claimed that Finebaum played a role in his firing. He stated that the athletic director and the president of USC were watching "College GameDay" when Finebaum labeled Kiffin a "joke" and referred to him as the "Miley Cyrus of college football coaching." Finebaum went on to suggest that Kiffin should be fired, and that night, Kiffin was indeed let go. Finebaum argues that their feud is mostly in good fun.
Earlier this week on "The Paul Finebaum Show," after Kiffin led Ole Miss to a 10-3 season last year, Finebaum changed his tone and defended Kiffin. Despite the team’s talent, many expected Ole Miss to be a playoff contender; however, they ultimately fell short, leading to renewed criticism of Kiffin.
"I think it's a great program," Finebaum said. "I know a lot of people, including my friend Mike Bratton, just want to bash Kiffin for what didn't happen last year, but the fact that Ole Miss was in a position to get to a playoff, I think, was pretty remarkable. I think they should have. But, ultimately, you can't throw away games."
While Finebaum seems to be supporting Kiffin for the season that transpired at Ole Miss last year, it's noteworthy that Finebaum was one of Kiffin's biggest critics after the season concluded. He was asked whether he believed Kiffin would ever win a national championship, to which he unequivocally responded that the answer is no.
Finebaum's reasoning was based on the outcome of last season. He stated that if Kiffin couldn't secure a playoff spot with the talent available at Ole Miss, there is little reason to believe he could achieve that goal in the future.
Throughout the season, Finebaum expressed optimism about Ole Miss. He remarked that they were the best team not chosen for the playoffs once the final rankings were announced. After Ole Miss' victory against Georgia, Finebaum declared the Rebels a lock for the playoff. However, the team ultimately fell short of making its first appearance in the postseason tournament.
Looking ahead, Ole Miss will need to regroup, as it will return only three starters on offense and two on defense for next season. The biggest loss is arguably quarterback Jaxson Dart, who was drafted in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Last season, Dart threw for 4,279 yards with 29 touchdowns and six interceptions while having a completion percentage of 69.3%.
Ole Miss will kick off the upcoming season by facing Georgia State on Aug. 30 at 7:45 p.m. ET.
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