Did Lane Kiffin Accuse Oklahoma of Stealing Signals? Yes, But Not The 'Connor Stalions' Way

Did Lane Kiffin accuse Oklahoma and Brent Venables of stealing signals against previous opponents ahead of this weekend’s showdown in Norman? Sure, but he didn’t say the Sooners were utilizing a Connor Stalions type assistant. 

Coming off a loss to Georgia, Ole Miss heads back on the road this week for a high-stakes showdown against Oklahoma that has major College Football Playoff implications. Both teams are trying to avoid a second loss as the SEC race enters full-on chaos mode.

On Monday, Lane Kiffin caught fans’ attention with comments about what makes Oklahoma such a strong defensive team following their win over South Carolina. His remarks quickly sparked debate online, though not because he accused the Sooners of anything shady, but because of how he phrased his praise.

"One, I think it's phenomenal prep, you know, film study of signals — you know how it is; I just tell you how it is. I think they do a great job of that," Kiffin noted. "If you study people really well, and you know tendencies, and then you have enough confidence as a coach to go after those, that seems (to be) what he (Venables) does. 

"You know, they've got a really good beat on the plays that are coming and when they're called. They do a great job of going and taking those away."

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No, Lane Kiffin Didn’t Accuse Oklahoma of Stealing Signals — At Least Not The Connor Stalions Way (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Brent Venables Took The ‘Compliment’ From Kiffin

Come on, folks. He said Oklahoma does a ‘phenomenal’ job at studying their opponent. I'm somewhat kidding here, because we all know how much fun Kiffin likes to have during game week. 

Naturally, fans on social media ran with it, interpreting his comments as a veiled jab about signal stealing. Ok, maybe he was having a little fun.

The comments from Kiffin quickly made their way to Oklahoma, as Brent Venables was asked about the ‘compliment’ during his radio show on Monday night. 

"Oh, man. I guess coming from Lane, I take it as a compliment?" Venables responded. 

"Like, he must’ve watched our guys be really prepared, you know, because that's who they are, man, they're relentless, their preparation, their detail, the time they spend above and beyond what's required. That's the proof in how we're playing right now."

It's not as if Kiffin accused the Sooners of sending folks to Ole Miss games ahead of time, with iPhones pointed towards the Rebels sideline in seats purchased by an Oklahoma assistant. 

So, did Oklahoma have Auburn's signals deciphered when the two played last month? 

Lane Passed Along A Warning To Hugh Freeze About Signals

Being that Kiffin is such a great colleague to opposing coaches in the SEC, and I say that with a smile across my face typing this, he decided it was best to let Hugh Freeze know that whatever he was calling on offense last month in Norman, the Sooners most likely knew what was coming. 

"You look at the Auburn game. I told Hugh (Freeze) after the game watching it, ‘You might want to change your signals. It looks like they have the plays, the middle-safety is running down to steal the slant’. Which is very abnormal."

So, the next question was an obvious one. Was Lane going to change his signals if Oklahoma was so good at ‘studying’ them? 

"No, we're going to keep our same signals," Kiffin said with a smile on his face. 

Lane went on to say ‘competitively I can’t answer that’ when pressed on whether he would make a switch, given that they were catching Georgia off-guard on a number of occasions last week in the loss. 

As usual, Lane Kiffin managed to mix honesty with a bit of gamesmanship, keeping things light while setting the stage for one of the weekend’s most compelling matchups.

He could have kept it simple and praised Brent Venables’ defense for improving this season. Instead, Kiffin chose to elaborate, knowing full well his comments would find their way to social media and the Oklahoma football facility. Which they did. 

It’s all part of the charm. This version of Kiffin is loose, playful, and clearly enjoying the ride. 

And who knows, maybe he already has a perfect yoga spot picked out for Saturday morning before kickoff.