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Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has a new challenge this week beyond preparing for the No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners: keeping his offense’s signals safe.
Speaking at a Monday news conference, Lane Kiffin hinted that Oklahoma’s coaching staff has a knack for reading opponents’ signals from game tape. He suggested the Sooners may have gotten a leg up before their 24-17 win over Auburn on Sept. 20.
“They do a phenomenal job with film study of signals,” Lane Kiffin told reporters, via Ben Garrett of On3. “If you study people well, you gain the confidence to anticipate plays. That seems to be what Coach Venables does. They’re really good at reading the plays and taking them away. Look at the Auburn game—watching it, I told Coach Freeze he might want to switch his signals. Their middle safety running down to steal slants was very unusual.”
Lane Kiffin’s comments are reminiscent of what San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said about Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen earlier this season, a postgame spat that drew plenty of attention.
It’s worth noting that Oklahoma is operating within the rules. Coaches are allowed to study tendencies from game film. The line is crossed only if electronic devices are used to record signals during games, which is prohibited. That’s what made Michigan’s 2023 sign-stealing scandal so controversial—they were caught using in-person scouting and a former staffer to decode signals.
Oklahoma currently ranks No. 1 in total defense, a testament to both coaching and player execution. Whether reading signals truly gives a huge advantage is debatable—players still have to cover their assignments and make stops.
Still, Kiffin’s comments are sure to raise eyebrows as the Rebels head into a critical matchup. With sign-stealing being such a touchy subject in college football, his remarks could spark a reaction from Venables before Saturday’s showdown.
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