Where Does Ole Miss’ Kiffin Rank Among SEC Coaches in October?

Where Does Ole Miss’ Kiffin Rank Among SEC Coaches in October?
Fact Checked by Pat McLoone

If there’s one SEC team looking forward to October, it’s probably Ole Miss and coach Lane Kiffin.

The Rebels started the 2023 campaign on a strong note for fans and Mississippi sports betting by winning their first three games, including an impressive 37-20 win at then 20th-ranked Tulane on Sept. 9. However, Ole Miss fell for the first time last week, losing at then-No. 13 Alabama, 48-23, in its first conference game of the season.

Kiffin’s team, currently ranked No. 20 in the Associated Press poll, ends September at home against LSU, which is now the No. 13 team nationally. As we get into the heart of the CFB season, BetMississippi.com utilized records from Sports-Reference.com to see which SEC coaches have the best record in the month of October. Only coaches with three or more years of experience were evaluated, so that includes the erstwhile Kiffin, who previously has coached at Tennessee, Southern Cal and Florida Atlantic, before settling into Oxford in 2020.

Best SEC Coaches in October

School Coach October RecordWinning %
AlabamaNick Saban 82-19 .812
GeorgiaKirby Smart 17-6 .739
AuburnHugh Freeze 29-11 .725
TennesseeJosh Heupel 13-5 .722
FloridaBilly Napier 12-5 .706
Texas A&MJimbo Fisher 33-17 .660
Ole MissLane Kiffin 24-16 .600
MissouriEliah Drinkwitz  9-7 .563
KentuckyMark Stoops 17-20 .460
ArkansasSam Pittman 5-7 .417

 

Many SEC Coaches Have Success in October

Kiffin’s .600 winning percentage October includes the Rebels’ 4-1 stretch in the month last season, but that was followed by an 0-4 end to the campaign that led to an 8-5 record. Two years ago, Ole Miss and Kiffin went 3-2 in October, including a 52-51 shootout home win over a ranked Arkansas squad.

Recently, we looked at Kiffin’s record against the spread.

This October, Ole Miss plays three games, all of which are against SEC foes. The Rebels host Arkansas on Oct. 7. After a week off, they will travel to Auburn before hosting Vanderbilt on Oct. 28.

While hopes remain high for a successful season in Oxford, the Rebels remain long shots to win the SEC. BetMGM has Ole Miss at +1600 to win the SEC West and +4000 to win the conference championship. While sports betting is legal in Mississippi, it’s only available at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks in casinos across the state.

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Author

Steve Bittenbender

Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.