'Too Cozy?' Josh Pate Speaks On Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin, Mississippi State's Jeff Lebby

Has a certain amount of vitriol left the world of college football rivalries? CFB analyst Josh Pate thinks so, and he used the Egg Bowl as an example.

Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby (left) and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin / Lane Kiffin on X

Rivalries are one of the defining aspects of college football, and one of the most iconic of these feuds is the annual Egg Bowl between the Ole Miss Rebels and Mississippi State Bulldogs.

This annual battle for the Magnolia State is known for its fair share of animosity between the two programs, but could that trend be shifting in the coming years? Recently, Josh Pate discussed the state of rivalry games on an edition of Late Kick, and while part of it appears to be tongue-in-cheek, he has noticed that rivalries appear different than they used to in the sport.

"Rivalries are one of the best things in college football," Pate said. "I love rivalries. I think there's a healthy amount of hatred that's good to have in your life, and I think things have gotten way too cozy in our sport. With the erosion of real, honest-to-God hatred in rivalries in sports, we've seen some disgusting things start to take place."

Pate then pointed out a specific example of a post from Lane Kiffin on X where he is posing for a photo with Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby. Of course, Kiffin and Lebby have coached together at Ole Miss in recent years with the duo piloting Ole Miss to a Sugar Bowl appearance in the 2021 season.

Is a show of camaraderie a problem? You can view the post itself below.

⁦@EggBowlTrophy⁩ 🔥♟️ pic.twitter.com/yg8N9wGQ75

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) May 29, 2024

"So, Lane Kiffin, I saw something from him yesterday. I hated it," Pate said. "Kiffin is at SEC Spring Meetings, Jeff Lebby is as well. One of them is the head coach at Ole Miss; the other's the head coach at Mississippi State.

"At no point in history should these guys ever pose for a picture together. I don't care that they used to coach with each other, don't want to see it. The only time I want to see it is if there's a pregame brief handshake before the Egg Bowl. Then, postgame, whoever lost, I don't even want you making eye contact with who just beat you."

Some friendly moments in the Egg Bowl feels like a breath of fresh air, however, after the amount of hatred that was common in recent years. Remember Elijah Moore's unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in 2019? What about every player on both teams receiving a personal foul in the 2018 matchup?

Some vitriol makes rivalries special in college football, but there's also plenty of room for toning things down on occassion. Kiffin has always spoken fondly of the late Mike Leach who formerly led the Bulldogs in Starkville, and maybe Lebby's arrival at State can continue that trend.