On SI’s Harrison Smajovits believes Paul Finebaum’s report of Florida being interested in hiring Lane Kiffin as the Gators’ next head football coach should be taken with a “grain of salt.” Finebaum said UF has been fixated on Kiffin all season and hasn’t budged from that stance.
The SEC Network host also believes Billy Napier may have saved some face after a 34-20 loss to Georgia in Week 10.
“Now, this should be taken with a grain of salt,” Smajovits prefaced before saying, “Finebaum said this word comes from chatter in the parking lot of EverBank Stadium. This was also likely told to him before the actual game started – and the outcome that changed the perception of Napier.
“For what it’s worth, he was confident enough in whomever he spoke to that he put that information out there even after the game.”
Late Kick’s Josh Pate said earlier this season that Kiffin would leave Ole Miss for Florida “in a heartbeat.” That was in September. Ole Miss is at two losses with Georgia coming to town Saturday and most Gator fans want Napier gone after a 4-4 start.
Practically nothing has changed. This is where we all thought the two teams would be. The key date to circle is November 23 when the Rebels travel to Gainesville for one of the most narrative-stuffed contests of the season.
Paul Finebaum believes Lane Kiffin can say no to Florida, stay at Ole Miss if Rebels make the College Football Playoff
Finebaum shared an interesting caveat to the Kiffin-Florida rumor: the possibility of the Rebels keeping Kiffin in place after making the College Football Playoff.
“And I don’t think you can leave if you’re in the CFP, unless Florida goes ‘you know what we’re going to announce after the Florida State game, he’s leaving,” Finebaum said on the November 3 edition of the Matt Barrie Show. “If they don’t have a coach within a week, it’s pretty obvious it’s somebody in the CFP. I don’t think you can pull that off in today’s world without just blowing your program up. But there’s no way Lane Kiffin is leaving Ole Miss while his team is in the playoffs.”
Kiffin wouldn’t give up a College Football Playoff situation for Florida. But if the Rebels don’t reach the promised land in Jaxson Dart’s final year, Gainesville would look like a lateral move at worst and an upgrade in resources on the flip side.
