Nick Saban trolls Ole Miss fans with Lane Kiffin comparison

Nick Saban. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nick Saban trolls Ole Miss fans with Lane Kiffin comparison

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Sep 20, 2026 10:17 AM ET

Week 3 of college football will give fans one of the most anticipated matchups of the season.

Lane Kiffin is back in Oxford as his controversial LSU Tigers will take on Ole Miss in an SEC showdown. Needless to say, the crowd is already roaring.

With ESPN taking over town for their "College GameDay" broadcast, it didn't take long before local fans let everyone know exactly how they felt about the former Rebels coach.

Considering that, legendary head coach Nick Saban, now an analyst for the show, made the most of the opportunity to troll the fans and remind them that he, too, was also public enemy No. 1 in the SEC at one point.

Nick Saban compares himself to Lane Kiffin

“Everybody makes their own decision,” Saban told Pat McAfee. “I don't tell anybody where to go. But just so everybody knows here, I am used to getting booed in the SEC!”

"Just so everybody knows here, I am used to getting booed in the SEC!"

Coach Saban pic.twitter.com/1fyftkoxvU
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 19, 2026

Unsurprisingly, the crowd booed him right after he made those comments, though he was probably expecting that. Maybe he missed it.

Notably, Saban is more than familiar with Kiffin's ways, so he certainly understands where the fans are coming from.

Kiffin was his offensive coordinator at Alabama for three years, and he went 5-0 against his pupil when they coached against one another.

Saban certainly wasn't the most popular guy in the SEC, but it's hard to believe he was ever as disliked as Lane Kiffin, especially by a specific fan base.

Rebels fans used to ride or die with their coach through thick and thin, but after how things ended between him and the program, he better bring some earplugs with him when he takes the field on Saturday.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

More must-reads: