Tennessee Fans Should Forget Missouri, Join Ole Miss Fans In Georgia To Root For Lane Kiffin | Trey Wallace

If Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was looking for the right time to shut down the naysayers, a Georgia Saturday night is the perfect setting.

Kiffin's tenure at Ole Miss has been filled with ups and downs, along with a science of how to get under the skin of opposing coaches, and he knows what's on the line. Not only are the Rebels sitting in a perfect spot for the College Football Playoff, they have an offense that can cause immense amounts of chaos.

But the challenge of snapping Georgia's 21-game home winning streak is hard enough, now add in a night game in Athens. The optics are not in the Rebels favor, but when have they ever been?

The last coach to beat Georgia at home is currently on the Bulldogs staff, so gaining any tips is out of the question. Unfortunately for Lane Kiffin, he can't call Will Muschamp and pick his brain on how South Carolina blocked out the noise and defeated the Bulldogs.

“The last head coach that beat them there? I can’t really call and ask because he’s now on their staff,” Kiffin jokingly noted about Muschamp. “There’s not a lot of answers about how to beat these guys at home. A lot of people have tried.”

But maybe this is how it's supposed to play out. Their backs against the wall, looking to cause chaos in the SEC East, while setting up a spot in the playoffs, without playing in the SEC title game. If you were looking for an underdog story, Ole Miss certainly fits the bill.

Head coach Lane Kiffin of the Ole Miss Rebels before the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on November 04, 2023 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

Lane Kiffin Has The Offensive Weapons To Snap Georgia Streak

Some love him, some hate him, this is the hand Lane Kiffin dealt himself. Whether it's based on his past, or the present, the Ole Miss head coach has come to grips with it. But there's one thing the outside circus can't deny, his ability to put together an offense.

The quarterback position has always been the point of emphasis during his tenure calling plays or leading a program. This year is no different, with Jaxson Dart leading this team to an 8-1 record so far in 2023. Add on the fact that he has without a doubt the best running back in the SEC with Quinshon Judkins, along with a wideout in Tre Harris who causes headaches for opposing defenses. You've now got a three-headed monster headed to Athens, looking to cause trouble.

If you're wondering if opposing coaches have taken notice to Lane Kiffin's offensive playacting, look no further than Kirby Smart, who called the Ole Miss head coach extremely intelligent.

"He does a great job. He's extremely intelligent. He doesn't overthink things," Kirby Smart said this week. "He keeps it simple and doesn't think that you, you don't have to overthink things sometimes as a coach. Probably doesn't get enough credit for that because he wants to beat you with fundamentals. He wants to beat you with his players doing things within their system. He does a great job."

Jaxson Dart Takes On The Personality Of His Head Coach, According To Kirby

So, when Jaxson Dart brings his team to the line of scrimmage on Saturday night, the game of chess will begin. One offensive genius on one side, while Kirby Smart stands on the other This battle might be the most intriguing part of the night.

"I think Lane's quarterbacks take on a personality from him. They have a lot of moxie, they have a lot of talent," Kirby Smart noted. "They play really hard, they play with reckless abandon for their body. He's like a running back. He's taken some hits this year and shown his toughness, so he's not gonna shy away from contact and toughness and the extra element of run that gives them a competitive advantage over a lot of teams you play."

If there's one thing Kirby Smart is spot-on about, it's his characterization of Jaxson Dart and Lane Kiffin. While the Ole Miss coach is known for reckless abandon, you could easily say the same about Dart. Either way, if the Rebels are going to shock the college football world on Saturday night, Jaxson Dart will have to take a few bone-chilling hits.

Lane Kiffin Has The Tennessee Fanbase Begging Him To Win

If I was Kiffin, I wouldn't get used to the feeling of Tennessee fans rooting for the former head coach to cause playoff madness on Saturday. We're not far removed from a few fans clad in orange throwing mustard bottles and a golf ball at the Ole Miss head coach.

Through all the jabs and social media trolling Kiffin likes to dish out to Tennessee fans, they will certainly take it late Saturday night if Ole Miss gets the win.

There's another caveat to this game that some are not paying much attention to, outside of Tennessee.

If Ole Miss were to beat Georgia on Saturday, this would set up a showdown in Knoxville next weekend that could decide the SEC East. The Bulldogs would enter Neyland Stadium with one SEC loss, while Tennessee would have to win this weekend at Missouri first. But, if the Vols get past the Tigers, and Lane Kiffin gets his monumental win, I'd imagine Tennessee fans will send boxes of mustard to the Ole Miss athletic facility.

Heck, if I was a Tennessee fan, I'd skip the trip to Missouri and head south to Athens to cheer on the Rebels. Because without Lane Kiffin pulling off the upset, it doesn't matter what happens in Columbia, Missouri, besides the Vols taking their third loss.

Who would've imagined, Tennessee fans and Lane Kiffin reuniting for the sole purpose of seeing the Georgia Bulldogs lose.

I thought the 2023 season was crazy enough. Imagine if we're sitting here Saturday night discussing an Ole Miss shocker, in addition to a Tennessee win at Missouri.

One sport, bringing a former coach and fanbase back together just for one night.