Rebels distracted? Mississippi State must take advantage of Kiffin drama in Egg Bowl

Mississippi State football is on a bye week, resting up and gearing up for their regular season finale in the Egg Bowl on Black Friday. Their Egg Bowl opponent, the rival Ole Miss Rebels, are also on a bye, but the attention in Oxford isn't on the upcoming game.

In the midst of a run to the College Football Playoff, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is actively entertaining offers from both LSU and Florida. His family has visited both Gainesville and Baton Rouge to get the lay of the land, and though his mind has not been made up, many believe he's on his way out the door.

Ole Miss is pushing him for an answer on his future. He's had a contract extension offered to him for several weeks now that he refuses to sign, and there have been reports that he's been given an ultimatum by Ole Miss to make a decision before Egg Bowl week arrives.

Kiffin claimed that to be false during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, but as CBS Sports' John Talty put it, Ole Miss expects "clarity." And what is known is that the Ole Miss administration and fanbase are quite frustrated with him at the moment. They're baffled he'd want to leave the current No. 6 team in the country ahead of a trip to the playoffs, and even more appalled that he'd risk hurting his team with the distraction this all could cause.

Mississippi State wants a distracted Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl

There are some parallels here to 2022. Entering the Egg Bowl in Oxford that season, Lane Kiffin had been in deep talks with Auburn about taking over their head coaching vacancy. Many considered it a done deal that Kiffin would be leaving the Rebels for the Tigers, especially with how public the courting was.

Kiffin would ultimately turn down Auburn, but his flirtation with the Tigers created a major distraction for his team late in the season. Mississippi State took advantage of the Rebels not being fully locked-in, winning the Egg Bowl as an underdog, 24-22.

Now going into the 2025 edition of the rivalry, Kiffin's interest in the openings at LSU and Florida are even more out in than open than his interest in Auburn three years ago. And feasibly, the potential distraction to his team could be even greater than the last time.

Now the 2025 Bulldogs are significantly worse than the 2022 squad, and this Ole Miss team is stronger than they were in 2022. There's also the fact that the Rebels being in position to assure themselves a home playoff game, if not a first round bye, could keep their focus where it needs to be.

But if any part of their preparation for Black Friday is negatively impacted by Lane Kiffin considering a move, Mississippi State has got to take advantage. The Bulldogs need any sort of edge they can get in a game they desperately need to win.

Setting aside the rivalry of it all, though that matters plenty given that a third-straight Egg Bowl loss and giving the Rebels their program's first ever 11-win regular season would be painful, getting a sixth win and making a bowl game would be massive for this program as it builds up under Jeff Lebby.

There are plenty of justified frustrations with this MSU football team, but Lebby would get the fanbase back on board with a bowl appearance. It signals a return to competence, which is the next step this program is looking to reach. Showing that upward trajectory would also be massive for recruiting, and the 15 extra practices that become available with bowl prep would help player development.

Lebby and the Bulldogs badly need a win next week, and it seems the opposing coach is risking sabotaging his own team with his antics. There's a chance for Mississippi State to make Lane Kiffin's wandering eye cost the Rebels for the second time in the last few years. If there was ever a game for State to put their very best foot forward, it's this one.