The lead-up to the College Football Playoff matchup between No. 20 Tulane and No. 6 Ole Miss isn’t just heating up on the field - it’s spilling over into the political arena, too.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves took to social media Friday with a little pregame jab aimed at his Louisiana counterpart, Jeff Landry. Reeves referenced Tulane’s trip to Oxford for Saturday’s CFP showdown, poking fun at the fact that the only Louisiana team to make the expanded 12-team playoff isn’t LSU - it’s the Green Wave, and they’re heading into SEC territory.
“Good news, Gov…” Reeves posted. “The No. 1 football team in Louisiana - and the only one to ever make the 12-team College Football Playoff - plays in Mississippi tomorrow afternoon!!
You don’t have to wait until next year to visit Oxford. Hope to see you there!”
Landry, never one to back down from a little friendly fire, fired back with a quick retort that doubled as a reminder of LSU’s recent coaching coup.
“Enjoy today with the team our coach built,” Landry replied. “See ya next year when you have to build your own.”
That “coach,” of course, is Lane Kiffin - who led Ole Miss to a dominant 45-10 win over Tulane earlier this season before accepting the LSU head coaching job. Kiffin won’t be on the Rebels’ sideline for the playoff, since he’s already preparing for his new role in Baton Rouge. But his fingerprints are all over both programs in this postseason.
Kiffin, seeing the governors trading jabs like it’s rivalry week, stepped in to cool things off.
“It’s not the Hunger Games, guys,” Kiffin posted. “Let’s both cheer for each other all year long, except when we play each other. @LSUfootball @OleMissFB.”
It’s a rare moment of levity in what’s been a whirlwind coaching carousel. With Kiffin headed to LSU, the Tigers will be led in the Texas Bowl by interim head coach Frank Wilson. Once that game wraps, Wilson will head to Oxford - not as a rival, but as the new head coach of Ole Miss.
Meanwhile, LSU has already made a key addition to Kiffin’s staff, hiring Charlie Weis Jr. as offensive coordinator. Interestingly, Weis Jr. has been allowed to continue assisting the Ole Miss staff through the College Football Playoff, creating a unique overlap between two programs now deeply intertwined.
So as the CFP spotlight shines on Oxford this weekend, the storylines run deeper than just Tulane vs. Ole Miss.
It’s a matchup layered with SEC drama, coaching connections, and even a touch of gubernatorial gamesmanship. And while the governors may be trading barbs, Kiffin’s message rings clear: rivalries are fun, but there’s plenty of room for mutual respect - at least until kickoff.