Lane Kiffin called out SEC Nation analysts after Ole Miss beat Oklahoma 34-26, posting a screenshot showing all four picked the Sooners. Credit: SEC Nation
By Sam Neumann on

Lane Kiffin had receipts ready after Ole Miss rallied to beat Oklahoma 34-26 in Norman on Saturday.

The Ole Miss coach posted a screenshot from SEC Nation’s pregame show showing Tim Tebow, Jordan Rodgers, Roman Harper, and Paul Finebaum all picking the Sooners to win. Kiffin tagged Tebow and Laura Rutledge in the post, adding only a curious-looking emoji.

Rutledge, for her part, didn’t actually make a pick on the show. But her daughter, Reese, did. And Reese picked Ole Miss.

As for Rodgers, the former Vanderbilt quarterback admitted he saw it coming the moment he made his pick.

That’s become one of Kiffin’s signature moves. When analysts or opponents publicly doubt Ole Miss, he saves it. When his team wins, especially in games where they’re picked against, the receipts come out.

This game gave him plenty of material. All four SEC Nation analysts picked Oklahoma despite Ole Miss being ranked No. 8 to the Sooners’ No. 13. The Rebels came into Norman having just blown a fourth-quarter lead at Georgia the week before, and Oklahoma’s defense was supposed to be one of the best in the country.

The game played out exactly like the kind Kiffin loves to weaponize on social media. Ole Miss led 22-10 at halftime before Oklahoma stormed back in the third quarter. Xavier Robinson scored twice for the Sooners, including a 65-yard touchdown run, and Oklahoma took a 26-25 lead with 1:04 left in the third.

Then, Trinidad Chambliss led a 75-yard touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter, hitting Trace Bruckler for an 8-yard score. The Ole Miss defense shut out Oklahoma the rest of the way, holding the Sooners to 84 yards of offense in the fourth quarter. John Mateer completed just five of his final 15 passes, and his desperation Hail Mary fell short as time expired.

Chambliss finished with 315 passing yards and added 53 rushing yards. Kewan Lacy rushed for two touchdowns. Princewill Umanmielen had 2.5 sacks and was a constant disruptive presence up front.

The win marked Ole Miss’s first road victory over a ranked SEC opponent under Kiffin. The Rebels improved to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the SEC, bouncing back from the Georgia loss and keeping their College Football Playoff hopes alive. They’re also 6-0 following a loss since the start of the 2023 season, according to ESPN Research.

Kiffin even got a moment with Oklahoma defensive lineman David Stone, who had been jawing at him throughout the game. Stone spent the afternoon telling Kiffin that Ole Miss wouldn’t be able to score on Oklahoma’s defense. After the final whistle, cameras caught Kiffin walking up to Stone on the field.

“You’re a little quieter now than before,” Kiffin said.

Other coaches don’t do this. Nick Saban didn’t spend his career screenshotting analysts’ predictions. Kirby Smart doesn’t quote-tweet when Georgia proves people wrong. Most coaches would say they don’t pay attention to outside noise or that they respect everyone’s right to their opinion.

But Lane Kiffin isn’t most coaches. And for better or worse, he never will be.

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann