Lane Kiffin has never met a controversy he didn’t like. He knows how to stir the pot and does it with perfect timing, but this time, he’s taken his snub up a notch. Ahead of Ole Miss’s matchup with Oklahoma, Kiffin wrapped a jab in a compliment, praising Oklahoma’s defense as “ statistically, the best” he’s ever faced while slyly implying they might just be too well-prepared.

Kiffin accused Brent Venables’ defense of sign-stealing during their 24–17 win over Auburn. “(Venables) just somehow gets the information to the guys, and they do a great job of playing plays.” Well, Oklahoma ranks no. 1 in the nation for total defense with 213 yards and no. 2 in scoring defense with 9.43 points per game. Kiffin and his co. thinks it’s mostly due to cunning tactics. Kiffin’s comments lit up the college football world. On The College Football podcast, analysts Joe DeLeone and Blake Ruffino couldn’t agree on his intent.

DeLeone argued that Kiffin was setting up a ready-made excuse classic pregame narrative-building. Ruffino, on the other hand, called it a deliberate psychological tactic, saying Kiffin was straight-up calling Venables out. Blake Ruffino supports Kiffin, saying, “Go watch any game of Auburn and go watch Hugh call plays and go watch how he’s calling the plays. I don’t understand what he’s trying to say here because there is communication inside the helmet. You can clearly see Hugh Freeze using it now. Are there different signals on the sideline for formations and packages? Very well may be, but there’s still communication in the helmet. So, I don’t know what Lane’s trying to say other than to take a shot.”

Well, call it a mind game or fear of going up against Oklahoma’s dynamic defense. Lane Kiffin’s move did take the entire CFB world to notice. If Kiffin’s goal was to rattle Oklahoma, the Sooners’ tape tells another story. Against Auburn, they allowed just 287 total yards, tallied nine sacks, forced three quarterback hurries, and racked up 14 tackles for loss. Jayden Jackson led the charge with 2.5 sacks, while the offense complemented the defense in stride. Isiah Satega hauled in nine catches for a career high of 127 yards and a touchdown, and Tate Sandell nailed three field goals.

Even the special teams joined in, with Grayson Miller averaging 54.4 yards per punt, including a 66-yarder that pinned Auburn deep. When you’re that dominant, it’s no wonder the opposing coach starts playing head games.

But looks like Brent Venables is in no mood for it.

Brent Venables’ response to Lane Kiffin’s shot

Well, everyone knows how serious it gets in college football when someone points out sign-stealing. Just ask Sherrone Moore, who had to face a two-game suspension for it. And Lane Kiffin knows what his remarks could do, Venables. But despite all of it, Venables took a different approach altogether to tackle the entire “sign-stealing” jab.

Rather than taking it as a jab, he took it as a compliment, addressing the entire thing. “I guess coming from Lane I take it as a compliment?” Venables said. “Like, he must have watched our guys be really prepared. Cause that’s who they are, man. They’re relentless. Their detail and the time they spend above and beyond what’s required—that’s the proof of how we’re playing right now. That D-line, how they’re able to dominate physically.” And let’s not forget Venables’ defensive success in Clemson back when he was DC.

Well, Venables might have ignored the entire stance, but Lane Kiffin can’t ignore one thing: that they are already coming in as underdogs against Oklahoma, and if they lose against them, then the playoffs might not be in their fate this year either, as it will be their 2nd loss to a ranked team. Sure, they won against them last year with a 27-24 margin but this season, Oklahoma is not the same anymore.