Lane Kiffin Deflecting to Alabama Taking Advantage of 'Free Agency'

The one-time transfer rule is just making teams like the Crimson Tide get better

Don't blame Lane Kiffin.

The Ole Miss coach said what many people know (and everybody suspects) about the transfer rule helping Nick Saban and No. 1 Alabama more than anybody else.

"Not only do they get the best draft picks but they get to go into free agency and take players," the No. 13 Rebels coach said Wednesday. "It really is going to set up one of the most talented teams ever, which is what we're getting ready to play."

Ole Miss and the Crimson Tide are playing Oct. 2.

Alabama has a game Saturday night against Southern Mississippi and Saban has probably pointed out the number of shocking upsets the Golden Eagles have managed.

Ole Miss has an off week that Kiffin is using to get ready. He simply said what nobody else really has the guts to say publicly.

Saban warned everybody earlier this year the one-time transfer rule was going to hurt teams ... and help others. Don't blame him, either. He didn't make the rule.

"I think what's gonna happen, as you've seen happen in a lot of leagues, the good players go to a good team and the bad players leave good teams because they're not playing," Saban said. "Is that gonna make the rich get richer? I don't know. You can decide that."

Now he's gone out and taken advantage of that. Probably both ways. It's a way for coaches to run off players they don't want by getting them somewhere they can play.

"Now they go to cherry-pick players for any holes they may have like an Ohio State receiver [Jameson Williams] or a Tennessee linebacker [Henry To'o To'o]," Kiffin said.

Williams and To'o To'o (Alabama recruited both in high school) are now Crimson Tide starters.

Williams leads the team with 218 receiving yards. To'o To'o leads the team with 22 tackles.

Add to that the Tide's nail-biting win over Florida last week, blowing a big lead and Kiffin is probably glad they've got a game this week to get past what Saban is saying.

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"I wish the media would stop upsetting Coach Saban by saying this is a weak team or has weaknesses," Kiffin said. "They went on the road into a top-10 team, into the Swamp and won with a freshman quarterback. Got an early lead and hung on at the end and now all of a sudden it's not a good team, they have weaknesses and they can't stop people.

"It doesn't really help us a lot being around there knowing how that place works."

Kiffin showed everyone he could match up with Alabama last year, going score-for-score until the Crimson Tide pulled away at the end for a 63-48 win.

Saban is probably got some real concern. Kiffin is just saying what everybody else thinks.

And keeping attention on something other than whatever he's planning.

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