Ole Miss just pulled off one of the funniest wins in college football history.

No. 6 Ole Miss beat No. 3 Georgia 34–31 in the Sugar Bowl on Thursday night, knocking off a playoff heavyweight, advancing to the semifinals, and doing it all without the guy who coached them all season.

Lane Kiffin was not on the sideline.
Lane Kiffin was not in the locker room.
Lane Kiffin was not even pretending to care.

He spent the night watching LSU women’s basketball.

And yet—somehow—Lane Kiffin still won the game harder than anyone else.

Winning From the Couch: A Masterclass

Thanks to the details of his exit to LSU, Kiffin is still cashing bonus checks for Ole Miss’ playoff run. According to a term sheet reported by Front Office Sports, LSU agreed to cover Kiffin’s full Ole Miss bonus structure, even after he bolted on Nov. 30.

So while Ole Miss was taking hits from Georgia and Pete Golding was actually coaching the team, Kiffin was quietly stacking bonuses like he never left.

Let’s run the numbers, because they’re hilarious:

• $150,000 for Ole Miss making the 12-team CFP
• $250,000 after beating Tulane in the first round
• $500,000 after knocking off Georgia in the quarterfinal

That Sugar Bowl win officially pushed Kiffin’s total to half a million dollars… for a game he didn’t attend.

It Gets Better (For Lane)

The bonus ladder keeps climbing:

• $500,000 for reaching the semifinals (✔️ already hit)
• $750,000 if Ole Miss makes the national championship
• $1 million if the Rebels win it all

Yes, Lane Kiffin could make seven figures from Ole Miss after leaving Ole Miss. College football is the only sport where this makes sense.

Pete Golding: Coaching the Team, Also Getting Paid

To be fair, interim head coach Pete Golding isn’t getting totally hosed. Ole Miss will pay him the same bonuses depending on how far the Rebels go.

Still, the visual is tough to beat:

• Golding: game-planning, sweating, calling plays
• Kiffin: scrolling Twitter, watching hoops, checking his bank app

The Domino That Shook College Football

Kiffin’s November exit wasn’t just dramatic—it froze the entire coaching carousel. His drawn-out “will he or won’t he” flirtation clogged the market, and once he finally chose LSU, multiple coaching vacancies were filled within 24 hours.

Lane didn’t just leave Ole Miss. He hit the “unclog” button on the entire sport.

What’s Next?

Ole Miss now faces Miami in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 8 in Arizona. A win there pushes the Rebels to the national title game…

…and pushes Lane Kiffin’s bonus to $750,000.

He still won’t be there.
But his money absolutely will.

College football: where even when Lane Kiffin loses a job, Lane Kiffin wins.