Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin has unusual reaction to USA Today's 2024 Preseason Coaches Poll 

There are a lot of expectations for coach Lane Kiffin and his Ole Miss Rebels next season. Following four seasons of significant improvement, many believe it's time for something great.

The hype around Ole Miss was augmented on Monday with the release of USA TODAY's Preseason Coaches Poll. The Rebels were ranked No. 6 in the poll, giving them a strong chance to secure a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff.

Notably, Kiffin reacted to his team's ranking on the Coaches Poll on Instagram on Monday. The coach captioned a picture on his story showing the Rebels ranking with a rat and death emoji. This seemingly signifies the ranking as “rat poison” for Ole Miss.

The term "rat poison" was coined by former Alabama coach Nick Saban to criticize the media for showering the Crimson Tide with excessive praise, which he believes leads to complacency and a loss of focus within his team. It seems Kiffin is seeing the media doing the same for the Rebels.

Lane Kiffin terms high expectations for Ole Miss as “rat poison” at SEC Media Days 2024

Many enthusiasts in the college football world see Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss reaching new heights next season. They are considered contenders for the SEC championship and are expected to make the College Football Playoff as well.

Kiffin addressed this during his session at the SEC Media Days 2024 in Dallas, Texas. The coach noted that he doesn't dwell on expectations despite the level of the Rebels' roster. He sees the high expectations from every corner as “rat poison” for his team:

“I don't deal in a whole lot in 'expecting,'" Kiffin said. "It's more of the thought process of daily work with our players, and I do think we have a really good collection of players that decided to return, including all three that are here today.

“As Coach Saban used to say, that's truly the rat poison, especially in the preseason. There have been plenty of teams not ranked high that end up high and plenty of high-ranked teams that end up low," he added.

Here's a look at USA Today's Preseason Coaches Poll:

2024 Preseason Coaches Poll

#1. Georgia (46)

#2. Ohio State (7)

#3. Oregon

#4. Texas (1)

#5. Alabama

#6. Ole Miss

#7. Notre Dame

#8. Michigan (1)

#9. Penn State

#10. Florida State

#11. Missouri

#12. LSU

#13. Utah

#14. Clemson

#15. Tennessee

#16. Oklahoma

#17. Kansas State

#18. Oklahoma State

#19. Miami (FL)

#20. Texas A&M

#21. Arizona

#22. NC State

#23. USC

#24. Kansas

#25. Iowa

What do you make of the poll? How do you think the Ole Miss Rebels will fare next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.