With the 2024 college football season approaching, it’s clear that LSU football's Brian Kelly is eager for more banter with Ole Miss football's Lane Kiffin. He made this evident during a Wednesday press conference in Baton Rouge.
The rivalry between the teams is heating up once again. Just days after Lane Kiffin's comments about Coca-Cola's health effects went viral, Brian Kelly took the opportunity to praise Smartwater— a Coca-Cola brand— and Coca-Cola products in general during his press conference, underscoring their importance as sponsors of LSU athletics.
Brian Kelly's weird opener
Kelly kicked off his weekly press conference by extolling the benefits of Coca-Cola products.
“Just a shoutout to our sponsor Coke. Smartwater great Coke product, minerals, vitamins its just great for you so refreshing healthy, and Coke provides you all the products that you need depending on what you like and I love Smartwater,” said Kelly.
The clip is amusing on its own, but Brian Kelly took it to a new level during his post-practice briefing on Wednesday with a unique introduction.
Kelly’s attempt to mock Kiffin involved promoting an endorsed product during his news conference. While the clip may be amusing to some, the approach of openly praising a commercial product may not resonate with everyone.
Lane Kiffin's bizarre Coke comments earlier
Before Kelly’s statements, Lane Kiffin earlier provided a funny moment when he addressed the media, going off on a tangent about Coke.
“Does anybody drink Coke? You realize 130% of your sugar for the entire day is in this one bottle? 65 grams of sugar,” he said.
He then confessed that he couldn't recall the last time he had a Coke. Kiffin followed this by joking about one of the reporters drinking Coke before wrapping up his press conference and leaving.
This season, the rivalry between the two head coaches will extend beyond just winning an important SEC game to include a debate over the merits of Coca-Cola products. Fans will have to wait until mid-October to see these coaches clash on the field.
No love lost between Brian Kelly and Lane Kiffin
It won't be their first encounter, as they have previously faced each other while coaching at Notre Dame and USC. Over their various coaching stints, Brian Kelly and Lane Kiffin have squared off five times, with Kelly holding a narrow 3-2 advantage.
In 2022, the Tigers overwhelmed Ole Miss as Kelly led LSU to an unexpected SEC Championship appearance. However, the Rebels exacted revenge last season, scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter to secure a 55-49 victory.
The two coaches will clash again on October 12, when Ole Miss visits Baton Rouge for a Saturday night game against LSU.
As Week 1 approaches, the Tigers are ranked No. 13 while the Rebels hold the No. 6 spot in the national rankings.
The matchup stands out not only as one of the toughest on the Tigers' schedule but also due to the ongoing rivalry between the teams' coaches.
Currently, ESPN's FPI gives LSU a 62.1 percent chance to win against Ole Miss. The game could play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the regular season race in the SEC.
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