Lane Kiffin has turned another quarterback injury report into a spectacle, and this time Sam Leavitt is the name sitting in the middle of it.
Leavitt had been listed as doubtful on the LSU vs. Ole Miss injury report before suddenly showing up as questionable on Thursday. That change was enough to spark the suspicion that Kiffin was working the kind of mind game he’s made a habit of, and the reaction around college football was immediate.
The move has rubbed plenty of people the wrong way. Kiffin, after all, left this team before the College Football Playoff last year to take the LSU job, and the players who stayed in Oxford have not forgotten that. Now he’s back in the spotlight for another controversy, with the latest twist landing just ahead of the Week 3 matchup.
Tennessee fans have their own reasons to bristle, too. Kiffin’s history in Knoxville still lingers, and this offseason added another layer when he pulled Leavitt away from UT at a time when Josh Heupel looked to be in good position to land him.
Nick Saban added fuel to the conversation during an appearance on @PatMcAfeeShow, saying of Kiffin’s decision to list his quarterback on the injury report: "If I was a betting man, I would say there's absolutely nothing wrong with Sam Leavitt."
That skepticism only sharpened the sense that Kiffin’s latest move is more theater than reality. The doubt isn’t really about whether Leavitt can go; it’s about whether Kiffin is once again trying to get inside an opponent’s head.
And for fans who have watched this act before, it’s getting harder to take seriously. Kiffin tends to brush off criticism, smile through the questions, and keep moving like none of it matters. But the pattern is familiar, and so is the frustration it leaves behind.
Saturday night will tell the story on the field. Until then, the injury report has become the latest stage for Kiffin’s gamesmanship, whether college football fans buy it or not.
In Other News...
Tennessee Suddenly Has A Backfield Concern At The Worst Time
DeSean Bishops afternoon against Kennesaw State turned into a reminder of how quickly a running game can change course. The Tennessee back was hurt in the first half with a hip injury, then came back briefly in the third quarter before leaving again because of pain, forcing the Volunteers to keep adjusting on the fly. Backup Daune Morris picked up extra carries and finished off a touchdown, helping steady things while the offense waited to see how much Bishop could give.
For a Tennessee team heading into a matchup with Texas, the timing could hardly be worse. Bishop had been part of the backfield rhythm, and his status now adds another layer of uncertainty to a spot where depth and durability matter most. The Volunteers will spend the next stretch hoping the injury is less serious than it looked, because the margin for error gets a lot thinner when a key runner is suddenly in question. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Just Changed The SEC Race For Tennessee Fans
Lane Kiffins move from Ole Miss to LSU instantly shifted the SEC conversation in a way Tennessee fans will recognize right away. The reported seven-year, $91 million deal is a major swing in the coaching market, and Kiffin pointed to advice from mentors and the chance to take over a program with a national-title pedigree as central to his choice.
For the Volunteers, the ripple effect matters because it reshapes the league landscape around them and changes the path Ole Miss now has to navigate. With Kiffin gone, Ole Miss turned to defensive coordinator Pete Golding as its head coach for the College Football Playoff, a sudden transition that leaves one of Tennessees conference rivals adjusting at the biggest possible moment. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Still Has Tennessee Fans Doing The Unthinkable
Seven Tennessee fans made the trip to Oxford, Miss., on Saturday night, not to pull for Ole Miss but to make their feelings about Lane Kiffin unmistakable. The group bought seats for $600 apiece and showed up in Tennessee gear for the Rebels game against LSU, a small but pointed reminder that Kiffin still draws a reaction from Vols fans years after his brief Knoxville stint.
The scene had an extra layer of irony at halftime, with Ole Miss up 24-7 on LSU while Tennessee held a 21-3 lead over Kennesaw State back home. It was the kind of crossover moment that keeps Kiffin attached to both SEC scoreboard watching and Tennessees long memory, with a handful of fans still willing to spend real money to make the point in person. [Read more 🡒]