SEC Football: Auburn to have two big losses this week

By Saturday evening, Auburn will have taken two bad losses this week. A loss in the Iron Bowl will surprise few SEC football fans. Even Auburn fans know what is coming.

The other loss will be far more painful. Why? It is because Lane Kiffin will have slammed a door in the face of the Auburn football program. As of Wednesday night, nothing had been settled. For Lane, Kiffin had been relatively quiet this week.

Earlier in the week, The Grove Collective made a strong statement.

It turned out to be too strong of a statement. Other sources reported Kiffin did indeed meet with his team and only told them he had not accepted a new job – not confirming he was sticking with Ole Miss.

Auburn fans have been steadfastly giddy that the school’s first choice to replace Bryan Harsin was making a move to the Plains.

The reality is anyone, as of Wednesday night, knowing what Lane Kiffin will do – is keeping quiet. Both programs appear to be offering crazy enough money that Kiffin’s contract dollars are not the major factor.

It has been reported that Kiffin has had an Ole Miss extension offer for days. He and his agent, Jimmy Sexton can afford to be patient. Auburn will wait on him until he says no, as long as the delay does not go very far into next week.

There is no reason for Kiffin, to not make a decision by then.

It has been believed the main sticking point for Kiffin and Ole Miss has been NIL funds. However far behind Auburn Ole Miss was lagging, it reportedly has made up ground quickly.

SEC Football is big business

It is certainly possible, that in the locker room after the Egg Bowl, Kiffin will tell his Ole Miss team he is leaving for Auburn. It is also possible he and Sexton will take another couple of days to make a decision, and only after they have milked the situation for all they can. Like it or not, it is just business, and SEC football is big business.

Without one iota of inside information, I have a hunch about the outcome. If the Ole Miss NIL coffers are full enough to lock down QB, Jaxson Dart and RB, Quinshon Judkins for another season in Oxford, Lane Kiffin will turn down the Auburn job. If not, all three may leave. After all, Judkins is from Pike Road, AL, just south of Montgomery.

My hunch is Ole Miss has done what it needed to do and Auburn, by Saturday night or Sunday will have had two big losses this week.

Thursday morning UPDATE: According to Matt Zenitz, Kiffin has told his team “unless something significantly changes” he will remain at Ole Miss.

If I’m wrong, and I could easily be, future Iron Bowls will have some added fun.