No. 7 Ole Miss is set to host 3-6 Florida on Saturday.
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While the game should be about the Rebels trying to defeat the Gators to stay in the SEC race and College Football Playoff picture, much of the conversation this week has been about the expected candidacy of Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.
Kiffin has been linked to Florida even before Billy Napier was fired on Oct. 19. Kiffin hasn’t shut those rumors down by signing a contract extension with the Rebels (though his win over Oklahoma triggered an automatic one-year extension).
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During an episode of “Josh Pate’s College Football Show” on Tuesday, the host reported that people connected to the Gators believe they’re in a good place to poach Kiffin from Ole Miss before 2026.
“As for Florida, I don’t think anything’s changed at all,” Pate said. “I think they’re just waiting on Lane Kiffin, and a lot of people down there that I’ve spoken to feel really good about where they are with Lane Kiffin. They may have reason to feel good about it… It has been my opinion that he has not made his mind up yet, but if someone at Florida knows different, good on them.”
While waiting for Kiffin to make up his mind, Florida has been doing its due diligence on finding other candidates. Still, the signs are pointing to Kiffin’s eventual move to Gainesville.
“So until further notice, if I were a Florida Gator fan, I’d just be buying the Lane Kiffin stock,” Pate said. “And if they need to pivot, they can pivot. And it’s not like they’ve been sitting down there saying, ‘We’re not going to do a thing until Lane tells us no.’
“Of course, they’ve worked on contingency plans. And truthfully, they’re probably some really good candidates out there that are on that contingency board. I think it’s Lane.”
The two programs are heading in entirely different directions at the end of the regular season.
Florida needs to win its final three games to become bowl eligible.
The Rebels could lose another game and make the CFP. It would be interesting to see how Kiffin would handle his CFP duties with Ole Miss while laying the groundwork at Florida if he were to take the job with the Gators.
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