Next weekend, college football will deliver one of the most intriguing matchups of the week, set to take place at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. In a true clash of styles, Brent Venables’ Oklahoma Sooners will face off against the always-tough Ole Miss Rebels led by Lane Kiffin — a game that already feels like a playoff showdown.
In the lead-up to the matchup — and adding some fuel to the fire — the Rebels’ head coach addressed his upcoming opponent, specifically pointing out how well Oklahoma does at picking up opponents’ signals through film study.
Far from backing down and quick to respond, Venables spoke to the media and took the comment as a compliment: “I guess coming from Lane I take it as a compliment?” the HC said on his radio show.
“Like, he must have watched our guys be really prepared. Cause that’s who they are, man. They’re relentless. Their detail, the time they spend above and beyond what’s required, that’s the proof of how we’re playing right now. That D-line, how they’re able to dominate physically.
“Honestly I don’t know of a team that hasn’t huddled. I think every single team we’ve played the last two years has huddled. And so between that and the helmet communication, I don’t know how that works, but we got enough to worry about just getting our guys lined up with the right call and things of that nature. But I guess I’ll take that as kind of a weird kind of compliment. Our guys must’ve looked pretty good on film.”
Kiffin’s comments about the Sooners’ defense
The buildup to this intriguing Ole Miss Rebels vs. Oklahoma Sooners matchup heated up when Lane Kiffin spoke out about his opponent’s unique ability to pick up the rival teams’ signals.
“One, it’s phenomenal prep — a film study of signals,” Kiffin said during his Monday press conference. “They do a great job of that. If you study people really well, you have enough confidence as a coach to go after those.
“That seems what he does and they’ve got a really good beat on the plays that are coming when they’re called and they do a great job of going and taking those away. Look at the Auburn game. I told Hugh [Freeze] after the game, watching it, he might want to switch his signals. Like, it looks like they have the plays. The middle safety’s running down to steal slants, which is very abnormal.”
When and where are the Sooners vs. Rebels playing?
The No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners will host the No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels this Saturday, October 25, at 12:00 PM (ET) in a major SEC clash at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma.