Lane Kiffin is having a gala time at Ole Miss. However, the coach caused some trouble after getting a little too excited for his win over South Carolina. It might’ve put him up for some action from the SEC. But he seems to be on the good side of the conference. Here’s what Greg Sankey told the Rebels HC after his eye-catching act.

Kiffin turned raucous on the sideline after Suntarine Perkins caught that game-winning interception in the last quarter. With that joy, he hyped up his LB, who instead jumped into the stands. The move had the referee pull out flags, but Lane Kiffin pulled a classic Lane Kiffin instead. After that penalty, he shot a football into the stands. Thankfully, he escaped a penalty and a possible fine for that rebellion. He confirmed in a recent press conference about his conversation with Greg Sankey.

The 50-year-old added that the SEC “did not” fine him. “We had a conversation and he did not bring that up,” he said. Kiffin also stressed that he was simply “excited” and made that decision to celebrate his happiness. There were only 5 minutes or so on the clock, leaving South Carolina no chance to make up that 16-point deficit.

Kiffin is a fun guy, and he simply wanted his players to be the same. He further added about going on a trip with the SEC commissioner. “I sent the commissioner, in that conversation, and sent him a message, said I owe him a fishing trip or something for this year.” The HC even raised an issue about the Rebels’ kickoff times. “I’m over it. I just know what it’s gonna be. I told the commissioner… ‘We’re gonna play LSU, it’s gonna be day [here]. We’re gonna go down there, and it’s gonna be a night game,’”

A lot to talk with Sankey as things were firmly going in Ole Miss’ favor, and everyone in the stands knew that this was going to be a win for the home team. The HC told the press after the game that he didn’t specifically tell Perkins to jump into the stands. But he turned up the heat by going for the move despite getting flagged. “I was just like, ‘We’re already getting a penalty, so whatever,’” he said. “Sometimes you’ve got to have fun,” Lane Kiffin added.

Ole Miss is having a ball this season by all means; they’re 8-1 after the South Carolina game. This might be the HC’s best run yet with the program, now having emerged as a serious contender for the SEC. Kiffin is one of the most attractive names in the sport right now, given how he’s a favorite for so many open coaching jobs. Even though he catches a lot of attention for his off-field antics, his leadership at Oxford is a big reason why Greg Sankey won’t want to see him leave.

SEC’s new scheduling hinges on Lane Kiffin’s stay at Oxford

The SEC is going through a big change next season. Teams will play 9 regular-season games instead of 8. They now play 3 opponents on a fixed schedule basis, which protects rivalries. Ole Miss got dealt a strange card, with the SEC assigning Oklahoma as a regular opponent. They have no geographical connection, nor do they have a long history. Kiffin himself said that it was “disappointing” to get the Sooners on his quota. But the SEC paired the two up with a strategy.

Sankey was asked recently about the new scheduling. He said that the SEC focused on predictive methodology to decide the opponents. “We have that down on a four-year analysis, just right around eight or nine percent, which is less than one game win, loss, or tie on all the schedules,” he told the press. This is where Lane Kiffin becomes a factor. Ole Miss has become a serious competitor under him in these last 4 seasons. The Rebels are 39-13 during that time and are now on 8-1. Oklahoma, too, is steadying under Brent Venables as of now.

If Lane Kiffin leaves, this whole new plan might get disrupted. There’s a big chance of Ole Miss collapsing without its much-loved coach. He has patiently built the program into a winning power in the SEC, and that is what Sankey and Co. are counting on in this new step. He’s a big name in the SEC now, and losing him would take away a lot of opportunities for the conference.