It's no secret that Lane Kiffin is at the forefront of the minds of most Florida Gator fans. As rumors continue to swirl, Kiffin continues to do very little to turn down the temperature and make the topic of conversation something other than whether or not he is going to leave Ole Miss.
And while Kiffin can claim up and down how happy he is at Ole Miss and how he is at peace, given how his coaching journey has gone, the reality is that what he genuinely wants is something that Ole Miss hasn't proven it can consistently offer.
Ole Miss sets attendance record against Florida
Ole Miss announced that it set an attendance record on Saturday night with 68,138 fans. The irony is not lost as to why, against Florida, the Rebels were magically able to set a record.
But record or no record, the reality is that attendance at Ole Miss has been a constant sore spot for Lane Kiffin. Despite taking the Rebels to heights they have never consistently enjoyed, Vaught Hemingway Stadium isn't always as full as Kiffin would like.
Even after the game on Satudary, he was asked what the atmosphere was like, and he made sure to point out what the crowd was like the previous week against The Citadel.
When asked whether Ole Miss has risen to the level of a blue-blood atmosphere, Kiffin said:
"It was today (vs Florida). Were you here last week (against The Citadel)?"
He went on to explain how Ole Miss fans answered the call to show up, and his players appreciate having an elite atmosphere. His dig was in reference to the fact that even though Ole Miss announced an attendance of 67,326 last week, it sure didn't feel like that.
Yes, one could argue that most programs struggle to get notable attendance against FCS opponents, but this has been an ongoing battle between Kiffin and Ole Miss fans.
You know where he wouldn't have this problem?
Even as Florida has been mired in one of its worst five-year stretches in program history, Gator fans have still filled The Swamp, and at no point have Florida coaches had to beg fans to show up.
So, as we say each time Kiffin comes up, he may stay in Oxford because it is what he built, and the pressure would be less than it would be in Gainesville.
But each time Kiffin turns on his TV and sees a full Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, there is a part of him that wishes he could have that too.