Faking an injury earns you nothing but scorn from the spectators. While there is no clear evidence that Lane Kiffin and the Rebels could be doing this, Ole Miss just found themselves in another hot speculation as suspicions rise to the surface. The fact that this isn’t the first time the Rebels are being scrutinized for a similar incident strongly suggests that this might not be attributed to unfortunate accidents.  

LSU was having momentum with QB Garrett Nussmeier who hit three first downs. This is where DE Jared Ivey got injured, which incited doubt among LSU fans. More than sympathy, this incident led to the Tigers fans’ booing as shared in an X post on October 13. “#LSU fans’ booing heartily as #OleMiss injury disrupts Tigers’ momentum on this drive deep into Rebels’ territory… Mississippi has been under suspicion of faking injuries lately.” 

Faking injuries has become a concern in college football but Ole Miss became the face of this concern after last week against South Carolina. After Lane Kiffin’s program defeated the Gamecocks 27-3, HC Shane Beamer subtly hinted on ESPN, “It’s fascinating to me to see how many injuries occur for them after the opposing offense makes a first down or makes a big play.” He also hit them indirectly saying, “The timing on some of the injuries — it’s a really bad look for college football.”

Following this comment from Beamer, Ole Miss released a statement – “We have been in communication with the National Coordinator for Football Officiating and provided relevant medical information for his review to answer questions about recent injuries.” The most recent injury just added fuel to Beamer’s remarks with its timing. And it is exactly for this kind of complication that Nick Saban wants a “flop rule.”

Lane Kiffin throws Nick Saban’s caution to the wind

Whether or not there’s truth to Ole Miss’ injury statement, the events suggest that Lane Kiffin might be snubbing his former mentor’s words. Retired legendary GOAT coach Nick Saban had some things to say about a player injury from his experience as a CFB coach for 28 years. With players seemingly taking advantage of injuries to disrupt their opponents’ leading drives, he called for a “flop rule” penalty. 

To avoid this illegal edge from happening, Saban said on Saturday’s College GameDay, “I know it’s a very sensitive subject for an official to make a determination about, is a player injured or not, but there should be a flop rule.” Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss are already 5-1 into the season after beating South Carolina. We hope that these allegations are false because no one wants another scandal to highlight this season’s regular college football season after Michigan’s sign-stealing incident last year.