College football has become an expensive business.
Between NIL deals and revenue-sharing checks, programs spend months figuring out where every dollar should go.
One thing Ole Miss apparently doesn’t have to budget for is housing.
The Rebels remain comfortably settled inside the heads of LSU coaches, and judging by the latest comments out of Baton Rouge, they aren’t paying rent.
LSU linebackers coach Chris Kiffin, the younger brother of you-know-who, gave an interesting quote to LSU insider Jon Blau, who posted the quote on the site formerly known as Twitter.
“Pete Golding was in his ear so much there he couldn’t really focus and he couldn’t play fast,” Kiffin said about Dottery and wearing the “green” dot at Ole Miss. “That was our selling point to come here: Get in a simpler scheme, be able to play fast.”
LSU LBs coach Chris Kiffin on TJ Dottery, the "green" dot at Ole Miss and transferring to LSU: "Pete Golding was in his ear so much there he couldn't really focus and he couldn't play fast. That was our selling point to come here: Get in a simpler scheme, be able to play fast."
— Jon Blau (@Jon_Blau) October 15, 2026
Maybe the LSU coaches should be in his ear more often considering the Tigers have fallen to No. 22 in the latest AP Top 25 College Football poll after losses to Ole Miss and Kentucky.
Maybe if someone was in his ear more LSU would still be a contender for a playoff spot.
And it’s not like Dottery is having a Superman-like season with LSU. He’s recorded 42 tackles through six games, which is five more than he had at the same point last season in Oxford.
But he’d need LSU to play at least 14 games at his current pace to match the 98 tackles he recorded at Ole Miss. He’s averaging seven tackles per game. Last season with Ole Miss, Dottery averaged 6.53 tackles per game.
So, not really that big of a difference.
Where the “green” dot communication could’ve helped was when Kentucky went for two points in the overtime win last weekend. The Wildcats scored easily after the LSU linebackers left the middle of the defense wide open.
Maybe a coach should’ve been in his ear telling him to move back inside or tell others to move back inside.
Or maybe teams coached by he-who-must-not-be-named are just destined to lose disappointingly to Kentucky.
But the point is clear.
Ole Miss coaches and players have moved on. LSU, or at least some of its coaches, have not.
The Rebels are spending their time getting ready for the next game. Some LSU coaches are apparently still spending theirs explaining why former Ole Miss players are better off elsewhere.
In an era when college football budgets are under more pressure than ever, Ole Miss has found an incredible bargain.
Prime real estate in Baton Rouge. Zero dollars a month.
