Nick Canepa: Lane Kiffin saga shows just how flawed college football has become

Sez Me …

College football is not the NFL and it’s never going to be the NFL. Even though they’re both about the money, they’re not the same. And that’s not a good thing. Today.

The League is a three-piece suit, with its shirt tucked in — and stuffed. It has a leader, commissioner Roger Goodell, who makes $64 million per year and is the first chief to realize the virulent power of gambling, a money-making printing press for the owners.

College football is in chaos, its clothes disheveled, shirttail out, shoes expensive, Italian-made, but scuffed. It has no boss. Its calendar might as well be redacted. Seriously, with NIL, players and coaches moving around at will, preps signing letters of intent during championship week, the transfer portal opening Jan. 2-16, it’s bad clam chowder.

College ball is ruled by the commissioners of the “power conferences,” and besides not always being on the same page, they aren’t in the same library. But the Big Ten and SEC swing the hammers — along with, of course, super agent Jimmy Sexton.

Things have gotten worse the last two months, led by the Lane Kiffin Saga at Ole Miss. It appeared to have no end until Mississippi athletic director Keith Carter — and I assume university chancellor Glenn Boyce — gave Lane an ultimatum for last Saturday, and it was simple: Are you staying or going to LSU?

Kiffin is quite the thespian, but there was never a question he was going to LSU. Not for the money. Ole Miss would have matched the $12 million per year, or whatever. But because LSU is a better job.

Kiffin knew that he wasn’t ever going to win a national title in Oxford. LSU is a different matter. It has a history. It gets talent. It gets money from somewhere in a poor state.

The sticky part came when he told Carter that, despite all of the crap he dumped on the program — due to his, what do you call it, procrastination? — he wanted to coach Ole Miss in the FBS playoffs. The answer was an unapologetic no.

Kiffin was arrogantly miffed, but Carter was so right. These coaches bail out on their kids — most of them attending schools because of their coaches — and expect to keep coaching them when they’ve run away?

Bo Schembechler was succinct when he said it best: “A Michigan man will coach Michigan.”

Now all that’s left is for Kiffin, who was fired by USC in 2013 on the LAX tarmac, to win something that matters. He hasn’t yet. …

My favorite is Kiffin saying he has no idea how much money he’s making at LSU. Lie. Can anyone tell the truth anymore? …

Trying to guarantee itself eight wins, Penn State hires Iowa State’s Matt Campbell. …

Can’t say for sure Dallas would have scored a touchdown, but the Cowboys got royally screwed Thursday night vs. the Lions on that bogus Jake Ferguson offensive pass interference penalty. There go the refs, assuming again. …

There’s incredible effort. And then there’s George Pickens. …

The officiating in Denver’s favor at the end of Broncos-Commanders was a disgrace to football. Calling penalties that aren’t there and getting away with it? The Broncos are the new Chiefs? Why? …

The Rams’ first penalty vs. the Panthers came with 2:32 to play in regulation. Not possible. But officials are incapable of embarrassment. …

Mike Tomlin knows bad when he sees it. And admits it. No excuses after getting booed by usually loyal Steelers fans. “I agree with them,” he said. I still think he’s done there. …

Ben Roethlisberger believed it was time for Tomlin to go and perhaps take the Penn State job, where he can win a national title because “he’s a great recruiter.” How does Ben know? Who has Tomlin recruited? …

The Bears hadn’t been an organization for 40 years. So they hire a bright, young coach (Ben Johnson) to bring along an incredibly gifted kid quarterback, make some offseason moves that work, and voila! It can be done if you move quickly in a League slow to shake bad habits. …

New England, same thing — except Mike Vrabel isn’t a kid, but he can build an ass-kicking atmosphere, and in Drake Maye has one of the best young quarterbacks in the sport. …

Can the Giants really build a franchise around Jaxson Dart? A young quarterback already bitten with four concussions just this season and preseason, who says he isn’t going to change, that he loves contact? “This isn’t soccer out there,” he said. A real headache. …

You know, it’s great for a QB to have guts. But remember, Tim Tebow had guts. I don’t know if there are any brain cells in guts. …

When he could, LaDainian Tomlinson ran out of bounds. He got that from Franco Harris. You play longer. Marcus Allen was the all-time master of not getting hit hard. He also was the greatest goal-line runner. …

You can change. Lamar Jackson doesn’t run nearly as much as he used to. They’re out to get you. Or didn’t you notice the Raiders’ Elandon Roberts take an obvious shot last Sunday at Justin Herbert’s damaged left hand? …

The best pure thrower of a football I’ve seen was Joe Willie Namath. They say his spirals made noise. A shame he was like Mickey Mantle at the end. No legs. And there was plenty of get-along when they were young. …

Pat Fitzgerald gets hired by Michigan State. He was a decent football coach at Northwestern, which fired him in 2023 over a hazing incident. I guess ADs have trouble checking lists twice during the holidays. …

But Pat does promise to return MSU to glory. So he has that going for him. And you have to believe he was Magic-approved, which really doesn’t mean a thing. …

I don’t know if the Red Raiders can win the FBS title, but the team that meets Texas Tech in the playoffs is in for an awakening — and it’s rude. …

Maybe Ohio State has a better defense than Tech. Not by much, if at all. No D is faster. …

Did you notice Lincoln High School great Roderick Robinson II scored Georgia’s first TD vs. Alabama? …

Not much happening in baseball. But the Padres did sign pitcher Ty Adcock. …

Chiefs-Cowboys on Thanksgiving drew 57 million viewers, the most ever for a regular season NFL game. Thanksgiving is perfect for the modern fan. Eat, drink and gamble. …

So what’s new? Our soccer team has been hit by the San Diego Curse, allowing three goals in three seconds in their big game. …

El Presidente doesn’t like the American term “football.” Thinks the NFL should change it. He’s starting to mess with people more powerful than he is. Although NML — National Money League — has a nice ring to it. …

Sadly, around 850,000 of the 1.5 million tickets available for February’s Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics have been sold. Italians seem to be lacking interest. The United States’ official opinion is that not enough of them have been told. …

Purdue basketball, as usual, Purdon’t. …

They can introduce all the high-tech they wish. Officials are never going to learn how to correctly spot the football. …

Do we really need the Patriots to be good again?