Paul Finebaum Praises Lane Kiffin After Ole Miss Rebels Win vs. LSU

After coming after Lane Kiffin a week ago, Paul Finebaum sang the praises of Lane Kiffin after his win vs. LSU

Matt Galatzan | Oct 1, 2023

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Ole Miss Rebels

A week ago, ESPN personality Paul Finebaum came after Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin, after falling to Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide yet again.

But after his 55-49 upset win over the LSU Tigers in Oxford on Saturday, Kiffin now has earned the praise of Finebaum, with the outspoken radio host giving Kiffin his due respect.

“I’m happy for him. It’s easy to criticize him, and I did and everyone else did as well, for losing to Nick Saban," Finebaum said. “Maybe he feels like he has to do something more than just go on the football field. But against LSU he was quiet all week, I think he was motivated by the criticism, and he showed why he has the reputation he does.

Finebaum didn't stop there, however, also giving Kiffin props for his ability to turn Ole Miss into an SEC West contender, despite not having an even playing field with the likes of Alabama and LSU in terms of resources and recruiting.

He also noted Kiffin's transfer portal proficiency as a big reason for his success in Oxford.

"I realize that Ole Miss is an SEC school, but it’s not like Alabama and LSU," Finebaum said. "They’re not on the same plane. And he has to use the portal and he has to use anything he can. When the stars are aligned, he showed out as one of the best coaches in the country.”

Kiffin will now hope to parlay the momentum from his win over LSU into SEC West contention, as the Rebels take on the Arkansas Razorbacks in Oxford next Saturday.

Published Oct 1, 2023

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan the Editor-In-Chief of TheGroveReport.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels.