Lane Kiffin didn’t hide his frustration after the SEC released the kickoff times for Week 10, and his gripe had everything to do with who got the night stage and who didn’t.
The league announced earlier this week that Georgia’s trip to Ole Miss on Nov. 7 would be a night game, which fits the billing for two of the SEC’s top teams. But the other marquee matchup in that same week - Alabama at LSU - was assigned a 3:30 p.m.
EST kickoff instead. Kiffin made it clear he didn’t love the decision.
“If someone thinks the SEC wants us to win this year after what’s been going on, they must have just been on Mars the last four months. So I guess when I look at it that way, I’m not surprised," said Lane Kiffin via On3.
Kiffin has a point from his perspective. Alabama and LSU are not only among the conference’s best teams, they’re rivals, too, and that usually puts a game in the center of the weekly spotlight. A night kickoff would have added another layer to it, and Kiffin clearly wanted that slot for his side.
Instead, the SEC gave the primetime window to Georgia and Ole Miss.
That decision doesn’t exactly make life easier for Georgia, either. The Bulldogs have to travel to Oxford and handle a night environment on the road, which is never a simple assignment in the SEC. Still, the league’s choice has become a talking point because it left Kiffin irritated while giving Georgia the advantage of the night spotlight.
The irony is that Georgia is still waiting on its first home night game of the season. LSU, meanwhile, has already played four night games this year, including its matchup against McNeese State, even with other notable SEC games on that same day. So while it may seem odd that Alabama and LSU didn’t get the late window, LSU has hardly been deprived of night kicks.
Georgia’s situation is different. Its night games so far have come away from home, against Alabama and Ole Miss, which are among the toughest opponents on the schedule.
If anyone has reason to be annoyed, the case could be made for Kirby Smart. But Georgia’s coach isn’t the one doing the talking here.
The Bulldogs still have two more chances to land a home night game this season, with Missouri and Georgia Tech still on the schedule. Missouri might be the better bet, but with the SEC, nothing feels certain until the league says so.
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