Lane Kiffin was waiting for his chance to return to Paul Finebaum and was given the opportunity earlier this week. After the latter wrote an article that wondered if the Alabama dynasty was coming to an end, the former got to work.
In 2013, Kiffin was fired on the tarmac after USC’s loss to Arizona State. Prior to the game and the eventual shooting, Finebaum’s comment was national storyline.
How did someone like Lane Kiffin get those jobs? How did he land the Raiders job? In Tennessee? And particularly that of SC? People think it’s because of his father, Monte, the great defensive wizard. In some ways, Lane Kiffin is the Miley Cyrus of college football. He has very little talent, but we just can’t take our eyes off him.
Paul Finebaum on Lane Kiffin in 2013
Kiffin has not forgotten what Finebaum said about him. He said it very clearly last year with a big smirk on his face.
And now he is rewarded.
Ole Miss and Kiffin will host Alabama and Saban in Oxford this weekend. The Crimson Tide have suffered two losses this season, and after the second Saturday, Finebaum said the Tuscaloosa dynasty was coming to an end.
Kiffin called his comments “GOAT Fuel,” meaning they only lit a fire under Saban to bounce back with a dominating win over his former offensive coordinator.
He didn’t stop there. Kiffin told Finebaum on Friday that he sent the anti-Alabama story to Saban and his wife, Miss Terry, in an attempt to turn them against the SEC network host.
A hilarious exchange between Lane Kiffin and Paul Finebaum unfolded.
“Man, I don’t want to take advantage of our relationship too much, but I always felt like we got along. But now, in addition to tweeting, you make sure he hasn’t missed it,” Finebaum said.
“I just spent, anyway, eight years or something waiting for my chance to get revenge on you for getting me kicked out of USC that time,” Kiffin replied. “For calling me Miley Cyrus. So I waited so long to turn Coach Saban against you.
“Everything I said on College GameDay in front of three million people while you were mired in a bit of wrestling –” Finebaum attempted to respond before Kiffin cut him off.
“Including my athletic director who was watching TV when you said so that morning,” Kiffin said.
“- all I said was you’re the Miley Cyrus of college football,” Finebaum concluded.
“I thought it was a compliment, but most people didn’t think it was a compliment,” Kiffin said. “But like a lot of your things, people buy into it, but when you really study it, Miley is still pretty good. So it really wasn’t that bad to say.
“And your sporting director obviously wasn’t impressed,” Finebaum replied.
Kiffin, who paused for a moment, then dropped the best jibber jabber line.
“Yeah, our first half probably didn’t help either,” he said.
Here’s how it all went:
Ole Miss and Alabama kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. Prepare your popcorn!
