Ten Takeaways: Week 13
Who would've guessed that Lane Kiffin loves the drama?
For those reading on e-mail: click 'view in browser' to see the full contents of today's post
Ten Takeaways: Week 13
1. On to rivalry week, thankfully
I love college football enough that I run this website/newsletter dedicated to it. You love college football enough that you're either subscribed it, or you're a CFB fan who stumbled on this article randomly. If you're in the latter, you should get like the former and subscribe!
Subscribe to the college football website made for people who actually like college football!
My point is, we all love college football. It's OK to call this week for what it was, though: A light slate that served as an appetizer to the full-course meal awaiting us in rivalry week. There were some notable things that we'll get to, but I spent most of yesterday with my mind on everything that's about to go down. Get ready, because the next seven days are about to get as wild as any in recent memory.
2. I have no idea what Lane Kiffin's about to do
When Lane Kiffin left Tennessee for USC in January 2010, the move happened so quick that it resulted in one of the oddest and most impromptu press conferences ever:
Almost 15 years later, Kiffin won't have the luxury of running from questions when it comes to his next move - whatever it ends up being. His impending decision between Ole Miss/LSU/Florida after the Egg Bowl on Friday is arguably the biggest storyline of the week, which is saying something, given how much is at stake around the country.
On paper, it's a good conundrum for Kiffin to be in. He could stay at Ole Miss - the place where he's king of the castle, has leveled up into the best version of himself as a coach, and has the program humming at its highest mark ever. He could go to LSU - a place with an established track record of recent high-level success, and reportedly make the most money of any coach in the sport. Finally, he could go to Florida - a place people have always speculated he wants to be, and where he'd finally fulfill his destiny as Diet Steve Spurrier. Those all sound like great options!
In reality, he's also put himself in a bit of a bind. Instead of the focus being on a win over hated rival Mississippi State clinching the Rebels a playoff berth, the spotlight is on Kiffin's choice after the game. Can you imagine the potential fallout of them getting upset, then Kiffin announcing after the game that he's dipping? What if they win and the playoff committee decides, "You know what? These guys don't have their coach, and the roster might not be fully committed now, either. We're leaving them out of the playoff." It sounds far-fetched, but is anything ever really that unrealistic when it comes to Lane Kiffin? Leaving for either LSU or Florida also ups expectations on him to not just compete for a national title, but win one. We saw how that worked out for him at USC in 2012:
Gene Wojciechowski
I've said plenty of times in these writeups that I'm not a Kiffin guy. I don't like his personality, and I think he actively hurts his teams by being so obnoxious. That said, it's undeniable that he's one of the best coaches in the country. He's turned Ole Miss into a perennial ten-win program, with a likely playoff berth in two weeks. If he can do that in Oxford, what could he potentially do in Baton Rouge or Gainesville? Both Florida and LSU are right in doing everything they can to land him.
Lane Kiffin is a much better coach than he was when he left Tennessee for USC. He's a much better coach than when he got fired at USC, too. At his core, though, he's still a guy who loves when the spotlight is on him more than anything. This saga playing out so publicly feels like it's exactly how a Lane Kiffin hiring should happen - for better or worse.
3. Future Florida State will be angry with present Florida State
You know that feeling when you put something off for weeks (or months), then you finally do it? How do you feel in that moment? You probably say something like, "Wow, my life is better for getting that done. I can't believe I put that off for so long." That's exactly how Florida State will feel 11 months from now when they eventually fire Mike Norvell. I bring this up because they announced on Sunday that he's returning next season:
