Transcript | Everything Lane Kiffin said on the Paul Finebaum Show

OXFORD, Miss. – Lane Kiffin joined The Paul Finebaum Show this week to discuss the Ole Miss win over Georgia, how it impacted recruiting, and what Oxford means to him and his family.

Finebaum: What’s your life been like since Ole Miss knocked off Georgia convincingly?

Kiffin: “I’m glad we actually have a bye…this was such a big deal around here. I’m glad we’re having it, just knowing what our players are hearing at school. It was a really big win, so it’s really big for our fans, players, and university, but we won a game in the middle of the season… we’ve already started on Florida because this is a really big game for us, and we need to close this thing out in the next two games. We’ve been in the playoff race ever since we screwed up the LSU game, we forced ourselves into a playoff race.”

Finebaum: A lot was made out of that win, what has it meant to you personally to finally slay that dragon?

Kiffin: “We have a lot of season left here. Lot of, hopefully, games to play and a lot of things to accomplish. That was big as a program because Georgia has been the elite program for a long time, you know, 52 straight games, that’s a lot of games, besides Alabama, and one regular season loss in four to five years… that was really big for recruiting as well.”

Finebaum: How has this win benefited your recruiting?

Kiffin: “A number of kids were at the game, and a lot of kids around the country watched the game, and they felt like if Ole Miss can beat Georgia by three scores like that, they have a chance to win championships there. I think it made kids that were really interested in the program even more interested, and realize ‘I can come there and achieve all the things I would want at another place.'”

Finebaum: The narrative has been flipped, how different is it when the talent is a lot more compatible for Ole Miss?

Kiffin: “That was a big goal. We went 11-2 last year and won the Peach Bowl but had a feeling that we were still ways off from Georgia… we made some changes, got a lot of size, twitch rushers… we spent a lot of time in the offseason game planning them. That’s a lot of respect to Georgia because they were the elite team in college football… a lot of times you have to become them in some ways.”

Finebaum: What goes through your mind when you think about why Kentucky and LSU were losses and now we’re seeing Ole Miss absolutely dominate?

Kiffin: “I think there were a number of factors there. Sometimes it takes a long time for a team to come together. We had a lot of people come in the portal, a lot of offseason surgeries, they didn’t do anything and weren’t cleared until partway through camp… I kind of felt like we were going to be a late team… so unfortunately we lost those two games, but I kind of thought this would be a team that would get better as the season goes along and still can get better. We’re playing without by far the best receiver in the country (Tre Harris)… that adds to these players who Jaxson can get the ball to, and it’s really exciting.”

Finebaum: How would you describe your connection to the community of Oxford? 

Kiffin: “Oxford is amazing. I said a year or two ago that I needed Oxford a lot more than it needed me, and even since then, continuing with Landry at the time going to Oxford High School, and then to come to Ole Miss… it’s been really special. I’m very appreciative of them for bringing us here and embracing us. It’s been awesome.”

Finebaum: A lot of people have said that your family was a big reason that you stayed there, is that a fair statement?

Kiffin: “That was really special at the end of the (Georgia) win for her to come down and get through all those people and have that hug and say, ‘Pops would be really proud of you, dad…’ Knox is moving here in the summer for next year’s high school, so that’s really exciting, and Presley actually had national signing day today and signed with USC for volleyball. Really neat family time.”

Finebaum: Do you have any reaction to what the committee has done so far, and do you have any advice for them over the. next three weeks?

Kiffin: “I didn’t watch it, that’s out of our control. I said when it was first initially set up, I think you’re going to have some major problems and some really upset people. I said it’s not going to have the true best 12 teams… it’s really a different system, and then you’re going to have potentially some great SEC or Big 10 team sitting at 12 is going to be knocked out by somebody below them… that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.”

Finebaum: When you meet with other coaches and talk to the commissioners, what would you advise them if you had the authority to say?

Kiffin: “I think college football is still exciting to watch, and in a great place for fans… when I said college football is a disaster, I meant the system of the portal and NIL is a really poor structure. Would professional sports ever have a free agency window before the playoffs? Think about that, that would never happen… it’s a really poor system without real contracts. At the same time, I’m not complaining because at Ole Miss we take advantage of it, meaning ‘hey, these are the rules, we’re going to find the best way to do it,’ but it’s a really poor system.”

Finebaum: Personally, does it feel any different to have done what you did? You are viewed completely differently than you were a week ago.

Kiffin: “It is what it is. It’s kind of always been that way in coaching… that was a great win, but that’ll be forgotten in a lot of ways if you don’t finish this thing off right, so the goal is to finish, to have an amazing season, and this win is just part of the story.”

Finebaum: Does it feel different knowing so many people have been wrong about you, including myself?

Kiffin: “No, because I think that changes week to week and season to season. I’m sure somebody else is going to get the Finebaum love somewhere else, and I’m okay with it when you take the shots because it makes you better, it makes you overcome things. You got me fired from USC, and now I’m saying, ‘Hey, I wouldn’t have been here to have the Georgia win if you wouldn’t have gotten me fired from USC. I wouldn’t have been able to work for Coach Saban.’ So again, I’m grateful for you, Paul. Thanks for the Miley Cyrus comment.”

What’s Next

Ole Miss will enjoy its second bye of the season this weekend and return back to action next week in preparation for Florida. As always, stay tuned to The Rebel Walk for all of your Ole Miss sports needs.