STWF Sports | OXFORD | Nov 26, 2025  — The biggest question in college football doesn’t involve rankings, bowl projections, or Heisman hopefuls. It’s Lane Kiffin. Again.

With Ole Miss sitting at 10–1 and positioned at No. 7 in the College Football Playoff rankings, the Rebels are on the cusp of the first CFP berth in school history. But while the team prepares for Thursday’s Egg Bowl showdown against Mississippi State, the national conversation continues to orbit around the future of their head coach. And finally—at least partially—Kiffin addressed the noise.

What he didn’t do, though, is end it.

Kiffin made clear this week that he will finish the 2025 season with Ole Miss, a commitment that had at least some fans exhaling after weeks of speculation linking him to two of the most high-profile openings in the sport: LSU and Florida. It has been reported that LSU is preparing a staggering $90 million contract offer, one that would immediately make Kiffin one of college football’s highest-paid coaches.

But for now, the 50-year-old says his focus remains on the Rebels.

“Very important. I’ve never thought of anything differently,” Kiffin said when asked whether it mattered to him to stay through the end of the season. He added that his players have not been distracted, pointing to the shifting landscape of college athletics as evidence that the old assumptions about loyalty, permanence, and program identity no longer apply.

“It’s a different generation, guys,” Kiffin said. “Players can leave every year now. A lot of that is financially based. They don’t think the traditional way that years ago about their coach and what can go on with him next year. That’s not how they think anymore.”

Kiffin noted that, while fans perceive the swirling rumors as program-shaking drama, his team views it differently.

“As a fan, that noise is loud because it’s your team. These kids don’t think that way,” he added. “It’s a product of the system.”

Still, the tension is unmistakable. Ole Miss is on the doorstep of a season that could rewrite program history. Yet the biggest storyline surrounds the man who may—or may not—be leading the Rebels after January.

Players Staying Locked In

To maintain calm amid the chaos, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss released a statement earlier this week, echoing the head coach’s message and assuring Rebels fans that the locker room is unmoved by swirling reports of Kiffin’s possible departure.

“This team is completely locked in, living in the moment, and staying true to our 1-0 mindset for the Egg Bowl and future games,” Chambliss wrote. “We are unbothered by anything about next year and fully trusting Coach Kiffin’s leadership to keep us moving toward our goals.”

Chambliss’ words reinforced what many inside the program believe: as speculation swirls outside, Ole Miss has stayed disciplined within.

The Decision Still Looms

While Kiffin committed to finishing the season, he very notably did not commit to returning in 2026. Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter said Kiffin will address his future after the Egg Bowl—a statement that did not silence critics or calm the recruiting trail.

Under normal circumstances, a coach preparing to stay would have already announced it publicly. Kiffin didn’t. Given his reputation as one of college football’s all-time trolls, few are willing to assume anything until he speaks directly after Friday’s rivalry game.

Could he shock the room and declare, “I’m not leaving!” in a Jordan Belfort-style roar?

With Lane Kiffin, nothing can be ruled out.

For now, all that’s certain is this: Ole Miss is one win from history, and their head coach is keeping everyone—players, fans, rivals, and athletic directors—waiting just a little bit longer.