Old Friends, New Stakes: Lane Kiffin and Kirby Smart Prepare for Top-10 SEC Showdown in Athens

OXFORD, Miss. — Friends. Maybe even old buddies. Colleagues for sure. Those are all fair ways to describe Lane Kiffin and Kirby Smart. But when Saturday in Athens rolls around, none of that will matter. One will be calling plays for No. 5 Ole Miss, the other leading No. 9 Georgia’s defense of its SEC crown. The friendship takes a back seat to football.

Back in the Alabama days

The story starts in Tuscaloosa. Kiffin and Smart were both on Nick Saban’s staff — Smart running the Alabama defense and Kiffin designing the offense. From 2014 through 2016, they worked side by side, helping the Crimson Tide win games and stack championships. It was the perfect mix of brains and firepower.

They learned each other’s tendencies in those years. Smart saw how Kiffin liked to attack defenses. Kiffin watched how Smart adjusted and disguised his coverages. That time together built a respect that still shows when they talk about one another — even if they’re now wearing different colors.

The rivalry stretches beyond coaching tenures

When Ole Miss and Georgia meet, it doesn’t carry the annual weight of a border rivalry, but the history runs deep. The two schools have been facing off since 1940, and while Georgia has held the upper hand for much of that time, the matchups have often reflected where each program stood in its climb through the SEC ranks.

For decades, Georgia was the steady power — built on depth, defense, and a brand that mirrored the old-school toughness of the conference. Ole Miss, on the other hand, has been the disruptor. The Rebels have a history of jumping up and knocking down giants, especially when the game comes to Oxford.

Those moments stand out. In 2016, Ole Miss rolled past Georgia 45–14 in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, behind Chad Kelly’s arm and a defense that refused to back down. That win snapped a 10-game losing streak to the Bulldogs and reminded the league that Oxford can be a tough place to play. But for most of the modern era, Georgia managed to keep control — until last season.

In 2024, the Rebels flipped the script again. Kiffin’s offense struck early and never let up, and Ole Miss walked away with a 28–10 win that turned heads across college football. It wasn’t just about beating Georgia; it was about doing it decisively, against one of the most talented rosters in the nation.

Now, the conversation has shifted. The Bulldogs may still lead the all-time series, but momentum feels different. The Rebels haven’t beaten Georgia in back-to-back seasons since 1995–96 — nearly three decades ago. That’s the challenge staring Kiffin’s team square in the face this year.

What’s at stake

If Kiffin and the Rebels can pull off another win, it would be more than just a streak. It would be a statement about where this program is headed. Beating Georgia twice in a row would mark a new level of consistency and prove that Ole Miss isn’t just capable of an occasional upset but is built to stay in the SEC’s top tier.

For Georgia, it’s a chance to reassert control and remind the league why they’ve become the standard under Smart. For Ole Miss, it’s an opportunity to show that last year’s breakthrough was only the beginning.

Friendship meets competition

In the SEC, coaching friendships are never simple. There’s respect in public — Kiffin often praises Smart’s coaching acumen — but behind the scenes, the competitive edge is always there. They know each other too well, having spent time together on the same staff at Alabama. Off-field group chats, jokes, and stories from their Saban days still pop up, but on game day in Athens or Oxford, it’s all about strategy and outsmarting the other.

Both coaches know each other’s tendencies, which raises the chess match. Kiffin might try to lure Smart into a predictable pattern; Smart studies Kiffin’s formations, looking for the wrinkle that could flip the game. Their shared history turns ordinary adjustments into a high-stakes game of wits, and every touchdown, stop, or turnover feels like part of a storyline written years in the making. For football fans, it’s drama, strategy, and a little SEC magic all rolled into one.

The Bottom Line

Ask either coach, and they’ll speak respectfully about the other. But underneath it all, they both want the same thing: to win and prove their system works. Smart’s built-to-last Georgia machine is the gold standard. Kiffin’s Ole Miss attack is the disruptor, the one that forces everyone else to adjust.

For fans, this matchup is pure entertainment — old friends turned rivals, two of the sharpest minds in football, and a chance for the Rebels to shake up the SEC once again. When the whistle blows, there’ll be no reminiscing about those Alabama days. Just two men who know each other well, doing everything they can to beat the other.

Game time is set for 2:30 pm at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia.