“Everybody would just remember me as the guy who took all this money and went to Miami or Tennessee for his last year. But I was a captain. I put my hand and footprints in the cement at Denny Chimes. I would have lost everything that I built at Alabama.” — Ty Simpson

Pretty obvious today during the postgame press conference how much Kiffin misses Monte, who was the kind of person that created a sense of warmness in every setting and treated everybody like they were somebody.

Defensive coordinator Pete Golding is expected to remain at Ole Miss and will coach the Rebels in the playoff. Golding could also be a candidate to replace Kiffin as Ole Miss’ head coach.

The QB trade is complete. Joey Aguilar plans to sign with Tennessee after transferring to UCLA from App. State in the winter portal, sources tell ESPN. He trades places with Nico Iamaleava, who transferred from Tennessee to UCLA in the current portal. Back to business as usual.

Kiffin’s $13 million annual salary at LSU will put him on par with Kirby Smart as the highest-paid coach in college football. LSU would owe him 80 percent of remaining contract if fired without cause. Confirming ⁦@whalexander_⁩’s reporting. on3.com/college/lsu-tigers/new...

Clark Lea told me that he and the team were willing to do “anything” to further prove they belonged in the playoff. AD Candice Storey Lee had been working the channels in hopes of setting up a game before the final rankings are unveiled Sunday.

Was already going to be a drama-filled day in Oxford tomorrow as we await Lane Kiffin’s decision. But with Texas upsetting Texas A&M, Ole Miss is an Alabama loss away to Auburn from playing Georgia in the SEC championship game. Ole Miss wanted an answer early, but Bama-Auburn game is at night.

Stoops was never going to walk away on his own, but when Kentucky approached him about a separation, he said he would be willing to negotiate an agreement allowing UK to spread out payments over a number of years instead of paying $38 million buyout within 60 days of his firing.

Iamaleava notified Tennessee OC Joey Halzle late Friday night he had completed his paperwork and was entering the portal next week, sources told ESPN. This after Josh Heupel and multiple staffers had tried to reach Iamaleava and/or his reps to no avail for a day and a half

It’s Kiffin’s offense, but Weis is the primary play-caller. Rebels are the only team to rank in the top 15 nationally in total offense among Power 4 teams each of the last three years and one of three teams (along with Notre Dame and Oregon) to rank in top 20 in scoring.

The new Auburn head football coach will be the Tigers’ fourth in seven years with a total of $52.5 million in buyout money paid to three coaches not to work. Buyout U.

Nick Saban has never minced words. The most important factor in what makes a great coaching job in today’s game: Straight cash to build a roster.

Can confirm @ZachAbolverdi’s reporting. It’s down to Kiffin either staying at Ole Miss or going to LSU.

“We ain’t playing scared. We ain’t coaching scared.”

Tennessee is set to announce later Wednesday that it plans to switch back to Adidas as the school's apparel provider, sources tell ESPN. The Vols have been with Nike for the past 12 years, but that deal will expire in 2026. Tennessee was with Adidas from 1995-2014.

Saban’s wit is a lot sharper than people will ever know.

Lane Kiffin on whether he expects to make a decision tomorrow on his future at Ole Miss: “I feel like I gotta.”

If Iamaleava’s deal with UCLA gets done, it won’t be close to the $4 million his camp was asking for from Tennessee. Talks ramping up. Reps for current UCLA QB Joey Aguilar, who transferred from App. State in offseason, have been making calls to other schools to gauge interest.