The Most Awkward CFP Run Ever: Ole Miss, LSU, Lane Kiffin, And A Transfer Portal About To Explode

NEW ORLEANS —  Even though a few weeks have passed since Lane Kiffin decided it was time to finally accept the LSU job after being told he would not coach Ole Miss in the playoff, the whole thing still feels awkward. 

We can sit here and proclaim that the Rebels are better off without Kiffin on the sidelines, which I believe to be true, but we can't act as though this whole ordeal is normal. 

To make matters just a tad bit crazier, reporters who cover LSU on a daily basis were inside the ballroom to interview assistant coaches who are also working for the Tigers. 

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There is nothing ‘normal’ about what I witnessed on Tuesday morning, as Ole Miss players strolled into the Sheraton Hotel ballroom for their media day session, with LSU assistants trailing behind them. 

Yes, I said LSU assistants, because the coaches who are currently pulling double-duty are under contract with the Tigers, no matter how you try to decipher them sticking around with the Rebels through their playoff run. 

None Of It Is Normal, But Welcome To College Football In 2025

It's weird seeing Charlie Weis Jr. wearing an Ole Miss hoodie, knowing that a few hours later he'd be on the phone with other LSU staff members, trying to help Lane Kiffin navigate the upcoming transfer portal. 

That's really the only way to summarize this entire ordeal, besides the word ‘awkward’, which was used multiple times by players during their time with the media. When new head coach Pete Golding said that it really doesn't matter at this point who is leading the team out of the tunnel for these games, he was not lying. 

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Whether it was Triniday Chambliss or KJ Bolden, they both said there were times early on during this transition that they did not know who would be in the meetings, but tried to move past the ‘awkward’ stage and prepare for what was to come. 

"It was a little hectic at first, not knowing what was going to happen," Chambliss said Tuesday. "But, they ended up getting a plan in place. We had a lot of meetings to go over what was going to happen. It really doesn't matter, except what we do on the field, and we know we're here to play football, we've been doing it all season. 

"We really just can't get caught up in that."

Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss meets with the media in New Orleans, ahead of the Sugar Bowl Via: Trey Wallace

It looked as though that worked during their first round game against Tulane, as the Rebels handled the Green Wave for the second time this season. But, that all changes on Thursday night, with a rematch against the Georgia Bulldogs, who used a 17-0 run to win earlier this season. 

But as the assistants stood off to the side as Ole Miss players were being interviewed, it was hard not to notice just how weird this ordeal was for everyone involved. Yes, both Kiffin and Pete Golding have worked out the details on how these coaches are handling their jobs at each location, but it doesn't make the situation any better. 

Between trips to Baton Rouge and Oxford, a number of assistant coaches have been put in some pretty tough positions. Either make the move to Louisiana or run the risk of not having a job following this season, which is the case when you don't know what the future holds.  

"Have you ever seen coaches from an opposing school camped out inside your rival's building? One day the assistants are in Baton Rouge, the next day they are in Oxford, during CFP prep. It's not as if Tulane had to worry about Jon Sumrall doing some of these things, but I don't think you can say the same about Lane. Not with how this whole thing unfolded," one source with knowledge of the situation told OutKick. 

And, this thing could get even crazier on Thursday night, no matter the outcome. 

Transfer Portal Opening Is Going To Test The Limits For Some

So, it just so happens that whoever wins between Georgia and Ole Miss on Thursday will have to navigate preparing for a game while also diving into the portal. 

Since the winner will not play again until next week, that could mean upwards of seven days of negotiations and under the table deals being made between Ole Miss and LSU staffs. In fact, the game will not actually end before the portal technically opens, seeing that the party officially starts at 12 a.m. ET on Friday. 

This matchup will most likely not end until around 11:30 pm, which means when players are walking across the field to shake hands with their opponents, the portal will be technically open.  

Are we really going to act as though, if Ole Miss wins this game, that certain assistant coaches who are signed with LSU are not going to mention the transfer portal to one of the Rebels? Remember, you only have to enter the portal by Jan. 16, not enroll at a different school. 

In reality, nobody inside the Rebels facility wants to think this way, but that's the unfortunate risk you are taking with this type of scenario. And yes, everyone is tampering in some fashion, but it's significantly different when there are coaches from your rival school sitting in your meeting rooms, no matter their intentions. 

Being paranoid right now comes with the territory of this awkward rental agreement between two schools. 

Oh, and it just so happens that Superdome officials are preparing for the likelihood that Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry shows up on Thursday night, with Lane Kiffin potentially joining him, according to people with knowledge of the situation. 

I'd probably advise him to sit this one out, but we all know Lane Kiffin is not going to turn down an opportunity to promote his new employer, even if that means doing it while praising his former Ole Miss players on their biggest stage of the season.  

Sitting at the podium on Tuesday morning, Rebels coach Pete Golding said, "The big thing for us right now is more about retention than replacement. I think elite programs and elite teams can retain their best players."

I guess we're about to find out, starting around 11:30 p.m. CT on Thursday night in New Orleans.