Ole Miss players are not letting the Lane Kiffin story distract them during the College Football Playoff. In fact, they seem to be making the most of it.
Few references were made to Kiffin in the locker room following the Rebels’ 39-34 win over Georgia in the College Football Playoff, with most preferring to focus on the players who stuck around to get it done. Defensive tackle Zxavian Harris, however, was willing to make a few comments about his former coach.
Harris said Kiffin had been trying to “steal our shine,” but it didn’t work.
“He’s been trying to steal our shine,” Harris said, via Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports. “All of our coaches could leave now and we’d still operate as a close team. We are our own team. Coaches can only do so much.
“I heard [Kiffin] was trying to get [on TV] with the announcers [at the game]. We’re not worried about Kiffin. Kiffin gone.”
Rumors surfaced that Kiffin wanted to appear in the broadcast booth during the Sugar Bowl, but he was elsewhere on Thursday night.
There appears to be no love lost between the players and their former coach. Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU on the eve of the playoff and tried to publicly save face after doing so, at least according to one player.
Ole Miss will now face Miami in the semifinal. Kiffin clearly will not be on their minds whether they win or lose.