Lane to LSU? Anything involving this coach is a glorified guess

AI-assisted summary
• Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is at the center of coaching carousel speculation, with LSU and Florida as potential destinations.
• Ole Miss has set a deadline for Kiffin to announce his decision after the Egg Bowl.

The playoff race is supposed to command top billing at this stage of the college football calendar, but even debates about Notre Dame’s resume can’t hold a candle to Lane Kiffin’s all-consuming hold over the coaching carousel.

I’m imagining the “College GameDay” cameras cutting to Kiffin on a boat, where ex-wife Layla has lined up hats for Mississippi, LSU and Florida. And then Kiffin casts a line into the array, hooks one of the hats and reels it in.

The cameras cut back to the “College GameDay” set, and Pat McAfee is shirtless, and Nick Saban is discussing the plight of multimillionaire coaches.

As we await “The Decision 2.0,” here’s what lingers on my mind after college football’s Week 13:

Who’s leading the Lane Kiffin sweepstakes?

Only Kiffin could say.

Three years ago, in the days leading up to the Egg Bowl, the tea leaves sure seemed to indicate Auburn was positioned to plunder Kiffin. Then, Kiffin reversed course and announced after losing to Mississippi State on Thanksgiving night that he intended to stay.

I’m not saying Kiffin will repeat that pledge this year. I’m only saying, with Kiffin, the only thing you can expect with confidence is he’ll command the spotlight and prolong the drama for as long as he can.

Everyone wants a prediction, even if they’re glorified guesses, so here goes: Without much conviction, I’ll say Kiffin to LSU.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.