LSU's Brian Kelly Says Lane Kiffin is 'Good For College Football'

LSU head coach Brian Kelly believes that Lane Kiffin's personality is good for college football.

Oct 5, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin directs his team against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images / Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

The No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels and No. 13 LSU Tigers will square off in another chapter of the historic Magnolia Bowl on Saturday night, and two of the biggest head coaching brands in college football will be on opposing sidelines.

Lane Kiffin of Ole Miss and Brian Kelly of LSU are at the top of their respective field, even if the two have a slightly different personality both on and off the field. Kiffin has been known to have success in his head coaching career while also taking time to poke fun at his colleagues on social media, including Kelly.

The LSU coach was asked about Kiffin's antics on Monday, and even though he has been the brunt of some of his jokes, Kelly thinks that coaches like Kiffin are good for the game of college football.

"I just think you have to look at how many followers he has on Twitter," Kelly said, per the Lafayette Daily Advertiser. "Lane has a positive outlook on the game and he's certainly been an essential figure in college football. He can poke fun at himself and others. I think he's good for college football."

Kiffin's latest jab at Kelly came after the latter coach went into a tirade in a postgame press conference following LSU's season-opening loss to USC, but he has also made comments about his "lack of swagger" and dance moves on social media. That's all part of Kiffin's personality (at least online), but his current focus is on a massive game for his team on Saturday.

Ole Miss dropped an upset loss to the Kentucky Wildcats in Week 5, and although the Rebels got back on track last week with a win over South Carolina, traveling to Baton Rouge at night can be a different animal. Kiffin knows that this game is a big one for his team's chances at making a College Football Playoff run, so expect him to be all-business on the field this weekend.

Kickoff between Ole Miss and LSU on Saturday is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on ABC.