SEC Football

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin believes money is far more important than any other factor when it comes to recruiting during the age of name, image and likeness rights in college football.

Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated asked Kiffin how much money is factoring into recruiting and shared the coach's response:

"You take a 17-year-old who, a lot of them, don't come from money and family doesn't come from money … If any person tells you that their NIL is not the No. 1 thing … Take 100 of them and ask about the No. 1 thing that's going to make the decision … It's not the size of the stadium, not the head coach, not the campus or the conference, the No. 1 thing will be money.

"And how would you blame them? A professional player already has money, and they usually follow the money [in free agency]. So when you don't have it and are three or four years away from getting money in the NFL, you take what is guaranteed. How can you blame them when a lot of them never make it to the NFL? How do you not take it?"

Kiffin also stressed he believes players should be paid and that "they shouldn't be [paid] all equal. That's not what happens in the real world. Why does their best player get paid the same as their worst player? That's not real life."

He also suggested some type of salary cap may be the long-term answer, pointing to already existing similarities with professional sports.

"How are we not a professional sport?," he said. "What is the difference? [Players] are making money. They can opt into free agency. We're a professional sport, and they are professional players. Contracted employees without contracts."

He also posited star players using their individual power in the NIL era isn't far away:

"Why did Bryce Young not go into the portal? If you are advising Bryce Young, why do you not go into the portal and walk into Nick Saban's office and say, 'Hey, I want to be here, but I've got to protect myself so I'm going to go into the portal. And I want to come back as long as it's matched with what I get out there.' The kid would make 10 times what he would have made. How's that not going to happen all the time? It should. It will."

That he mentioned Young and Saban is notable because the Alabama head coach has been at the center of NIL-based headlines of late.

Saban told reporters: "A&M bought every player on their team. Made a deal for name, image and likeness. We didn't buy one player. But I don't know if we're going to be able to sustain that in the future because more and more people are doing it."

That inspired a passionate response from Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher, who said Saban's comments were "despicable" and "personal."

He also called the coaching legend a "narcissist" and suggested reporters should dig into Saban's past.          

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey issued public reprimands for both coaches, and Saban apologized for singling out Texas A&M and Jackson State in his comments.

The NCAA released guidelines earlier this month that said booster-led collectives cannot be involved in recruiting even during the new era of college football. While the guidelines left open the possibility of retroactive punishments for schools, that doesn't seem particularly likely given the potential for antitrust lawsuits.      

Herschel Walker, a former standout running back at the University of Georgia who captured the Heisman Trophy in 1982, won the Republican Party nomination for Senate in Georgia on Tuesday night.

Walker dominated the six-person GOP field with 68.2 percent of the vote, according to the state's official election website. No one else received more than 13.4 percent with 95 percent of precincts reported.

The 60-year-old Georgia native advances to face incumbent Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock in the general election. It'll mark the first time in the state's history that both major party candidates for a Senate seat are Black, per ESPN.

Walker has faced multiple allegations of domestic abuse, including two instances where women said he threatened to kill them, according to CNN's Manu Raju and Alex Rogers.

Walker has denied the allegations.

In 2008, the former NFL star said he was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder and sought treatment for mental illness after an incident where he played Russian roulette with a loaded pistol.

"To challenge death like I was doing, you start saying, there's a problem here," Walker told ABC News at the time.

Mitch McConnell, the minority leader for the Senate GOP, told CNN he came away "entirely comfortable" after looking into Walker's past.

His Senate bid was bolstered by an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, who remains a key influencer in the Republican Party ahead of a possible 2024 Presidential bid.

"You were the greatest football player, and you'll be an even greater politician," Trump said while congratulating Walker on his primary victory, per CNBC's Kevin Breuninger.

The running back played for Trump's New Jersey Generals in the USFL in the mid-1980s before moving on to the NFL, where he earned two Pro Bowl selections during his time with the Dallas Cowboys. He also played for the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants.

Warnock, a pastor from Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church, won a special election in 2021 to fill the remainder of Johnny Isakson's term after his retirement in 2019 because of health reasons.

The Georgia Senate race will be one of the country's most closely watched heading into the Nov. 8 general election because it could help decide the balance of power in the Senate, which currently has a 50-50 split.

Either Warnock or Walker will win a full six-year term in Congress.

Miami-area billionaire and University of Miami booster John Ruiz clapped back at Alabama head football coach Nick Saban on Saturday after Saban's recent comments about the NCAA's name, image and likeness rules' role in recruiting.

Saban took aim at multiple programs while talking to local business leaders Wednesday in advance of the World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, saying the following about Miami, per AL.com's Mark Heim:

"These guys at Miami that are going to play basketball there for $400,000, that's in the newspaper. The guy tells you how he's doing it. But the NCAA can't enforce their rules because it's not against the law, and that's an issue, that's a problem. And unless we get something that protects them from litigation, I don't know what we're going to do about it."

Per Heim, Saban was referencing men's basketball player Nijel Pack, who transferred from Kansas State to Miami and agreed to a $400,000 NIL deal.

Ruiz had plenty to say about Saban's comments to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, including: "It felt like a little teenager whining about why previously they had free reign and all of a sudden when you level the playing field [it changes for Saban]. It was very ugly of him."

Ruiz added:

"Shocked, shocked that somebody in the business for such a long time and on top of his game was totally clueless of what all of this means. He basically said, 'I'm losing my market dominance because of everything that is going on' and then starts … throwing everyone under the bus."

Ruiz also called Saban's comments a "very, very poor display of judgment and character," and said it was "totally inappropriate the way he conducted himself and handled everything."

Miami wasn't the only school Saban took aim at Wednesday, as he also mentioned Texas A&M and Jackson State.

Per ESPN's Alex Scarborough, Saban said head coach Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies "bought every player on their team—made a deal for name, image, likeness."

He also referenced a report that 5-star recruit Travis Hunter spurned Florida State in favor of head coach Deion Sanders and Jackson State in exchange for $1 million, though Sanders and Hunter denied that.

Fisher took great exception to Saban's comments, calling them "despicable" and saying Saban is a "narcissist," according to ESPN's Dave Wilson.

On Saturday, Saban appeared on ESPN's PGA Championship simulcast and told Joe Buck, "It was not my intention to really criticize anyone," per AL.com's Mike Rodak.

With regard to Miami basketball, the addition of Pack could be huge since the program was already on the rise.

The Hurricanes went 26-11 and reached the Elite Eight last season. They could be even better with Pack, who averaged 17.4 points per game with 43.6 percent three-point shooting during the 2021-22 campaign.

Alabama head football coach Nick Saban attempted to de-escalate his budding rivalry with Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher on Saturday.

According to AL.com's Mike Rodak, Saban appeared on ESPN's PGA Championship simulcast with Joe Buck and addressed his recent comments about recruiting, saying: "It was not my intention to really criticize anyone."

Per ESPN's Alex Scarborough, Saban discussed recruiting and the impact that college athletes getting paid for their name, image and likeness (NIL) has had on it during a local business leaders event in Birmingham, Alabama, on Wednesday.

Saban specifically mentioned Texas A&M, saying that the Aggies "bought every player on their team" via NIL.

He also mentioned the Jackson State program coached by Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, saying that the FCS school "paid a guy $1 million" in reference to 5-star recruit Travis Hunter.

247Sports ranked Texas A&M's 2022 class as No. 1 in the recruiting cycle with eight 5-star commitments, followed by Alabama at No. 2.

Saban said his players who earned NIL money last season were "doing it the right way" and opined that remaining near the top of the recruiting rankings would be "tough" moving forward due to the NIL system.

Fisher, who once served as an assistant coach under Saban at LSU, did not take kindly to Saban's comments.

According to ESPN's Dave Wilson, Fisher called Saban's opinions "despicable" and referred to him as a "narcissist." He added:

"We never bought anybody. No rules are broken. Nothing was done wrong. It's a shame that you've got to sit here and defend 17-year-old kids and families and Texas A&M. Because we do things right. We're always going to do things right. We're always going to be here. We're doing a heck of a job."

Fisher rose the stakes even more after that:

"Some people think they're God. Go dig into how God did his deal. You may find out ... a lot of things you don't want to know. We build him up to be the czar of football. Go dig into his past, or anybody's that's ever coached with him. You can find out anything you want to find out, what he does and how he does it. It's despicable."

Sanders also responded to Saban's comments, telling Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN's Andscape:

"I haven't talked to Coach Saban. I'm sure he's tried to call. We need to talk publicly—not privately. What you said was public. That doesn't require a conversation. Let's talk publicly and let everybody hear the conversation.

"You can't do that publicly and call privately. No, no, no. I still love him. I admire him. I respect him. He's the magna cum laude of college football and that's what it's going to be because he's earned that. But he took a left when he should've stayed right. I'm sure he'll get back on course. I ain't tripping."

Sanders also shot down the notion that Jackson State paid Hunter $1 million to spurn Florida State, saying: "I don't make a million. Travis ain't built like that. Travis ain't chasing a dollar."

The Hall of Famer also expressed his belief that Saban's comments were a veiled appeal to Alabama's boosters in an attempt to get more money in order to compete in recruiting.

Saban and the Crimson Tide have been atop college football for well over a decade, winning eight SEC titles and six national championships since 2009.

Fisher and Texas A&M may be closing the gap thanks to their impressive recruiting, though, meaning the rivalry between Saban, Fisher and the fanbases of the two schools could reach a fever pitch in the coming years.

Tension between Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Texas A&M counterpart Jimbo Fisher reportedly started long before this week's verbal exchange.

Saban's outcry against college football's current name, image and likeness (NIL) rules Wednesday included him saying "A&M bought every player on their team," which led Fisher to call his former boss a "narcissist" during a press conference Thursday.

Brody Miller, Bruce Feldman and Matt Fortuna of The Athletic reported Friday that sources who worked alongside both coaches on Saban's star-studded staffs at LSU in the early 2000s said there were already issues between the duo back in those days.

"There was [friction] all the time," one staffer said. "Will [Muschamp] and Kirby [Smart] and all the defensive guys all bowed down to Nick, but Nick depended on Jimbo a lot. But Nick is so hard on his [offensive coordinators]. They were always at each other's throats."

Another source told The Athletic: "Oh, it ain't like Nick and Kirby. There is no love lost between Nick and Jimbo—at all."

Saban, who also made reference to Jackson State in his remarks Wednesday, appeared on SiriusXM Radio (via Yahoo Sports' Sam Cooper) after Fisher's press conference and issued an apology.

"I should have never really singled anybody out. That was a mistake, and I really apologize for that part of it," Saban said.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey released a statement reprimanding two of the conference's high-profile coaches for their public remarks.

"The membership of the Southeastern Conference has established expectations for conduct and sportsmanship that were not met last night nor today," Sankey said Thursday.

Saban and Fisher spent five seasons together at LSU beginning in 2000. It was a successful run that included Saban's first of seven national championships as a head coach in 2003.

Despite the success, the coaches rarely saw eye-to-eye about how the Tigers program was being run and the frustration often carried over to the practice field.

"Jimbo would try to pencil-whip Nick to win the drill," a source told The Athletic. "And Nick would say, 'That's not what it's about. We're trying to get better getting ready for an opponent. That's not how they're gonna do it in a game.'"

Another added: "Jimbo wanted to run all these fancy plays. Jimbo is an 'offensive guru.' ... He wanted to showcase his playbook, and that was the biggest argument between those two."

Saban ultimately left in 2005 for a short stint with the NFL's Miami Dolphins before returning to the college ranks with Alabama in 2007.

Fisher stayed at LSU until 2007, when he left to take over as offensive coordinator at Florida State. He'd be promoted to the Seminoles' head coach in 2010 and won a national title in 2013. He accepted the A&M job in 2018.

Two decades after that initial friction developed, they're now major rivals, both on the field and on the recruiting trail in the SEC. Based on Saban's unprovoked attack and Fisher's response, it appears a lot of hard feelings remain.

It adds plenty of intrigue to the Oct. 8 clash between the Aggies and the Crimson Tide, which is now one of the must-see games of the 2022 college football season.

On a perfectly ordinary Thursday in May, a time when college football normally slumbers, a heavyweight fight broke out between two of the sport's most highly regarded coaches at two of the sport's most hyped programs. 

In another life, one that existed before student-athletes could legally capitalize on their star power through name, image and likeness legislation—and certainly long before programs could harness this newfound freedom to construct elite recruiting classes—Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher were co-workers. 

They were friendly—at least friendly enough.

They won a national title together at LSU before going in different directions and becoming rivals at Alabama and Texas A&M in the SEC. But now?

"We're done," Fisher said at a pop-up press conference Thursday morning when asked about his relationship with Saban. 

The reason for Fisher's disgust—and those two words were just the beginning—could be traced back to Saban's comments at a speaking engagement in Birmingham the night prior.

"A&M bought every player on their team," Saban said. "[They] made a deal for name, image, likeness. We didn't buy one player, all right? But I don't know if we're gonna be able to sustain that in the future because more and more people are doing it. It's tough."

This is not the first time Saban has gone after NIL rules, or a lack thereof. It's also not the first time he's targeted Texas A&M, whether purposeful or not, as an example while begging for extra guidance.

Beyond saying his relationship with his former boss was severed, Fisher uncorked a response befitting of a message board. He denied Saban's claim, at least somewhat. He then spent the next 10 minutes in his own multiverse, waxing poetic on a subject he was more than ready to tackle.

He called Saban's comments "despicable" on multiple occasions. He referred to him as a "narcissist." He even called into question the way Saban was raised, paralleling his own upbringing.  

"I don't cheat and I don't lie," Fisher said. "I learned that when I was a kid. If you did, your old man slapped you 'side the head. Maybe somebody should have slapped him." 

And, perhaps most sensational of all, Fisher called into question the very foundation of the greatest college coach to ever walk a football sideline. He used his own history as a catalyst, although he didn't stop there.  

In fact, he begged anyone willing to listen and go much deeper than that.

"Some people think they're God," Fisher said. "Go dig into how God did his deal. You may find out about a guy that—a lot of things you don't want to know. We build him up to be the czar of football. Go dig into his past or anybody who's ever coached with him. You can find out anything you want to find out; what he does and how he does it." 

This was football theater. This was a storyline seemingly constructed for a straight-to-TV movie; the GOAT and his understudy trading jabs through a microphone, speaking on a topic that has generated strong feelings throughout the sport.

No matter how you feel about NIL and whether it's ruining college football, however, you were able to pull up a chair, prop your feet up on a cooler and bask in the afterglow of a good ol' fashion coaching feud. 

If only for 10 minutes, the sporting world seemed to stop. Social media, which was seemingly constructed for moments like this, caught fire. Coaches and players and media and fans, even those who don't spend their offseasons trolling messing boards, couldn't help but glue themselves to the exchange.  

It was perfect because it was imperfect. It was raw and awkward and confrontational. It was also generally harmless, which makes for the ideal kind of football drama. 

As the NBA and more recently the NFL have mastered the art of captivating the attention outside their seasons, college football is following that blueprint.

The active coaching carousel and a quickly evolving landscape regarding the transfer portal and player compensation have created plenty of natural fodder. But the next chapter in the sport, beyond the games themselves, is the one Saban and Fisher are crafting before our eyes. 

Things are evolving quickly. The NCAA, despite posting guidance in the past few weeks on the topic, is in a challenging position to somehow govern an issue that has captivated the sport. That is perhaps being kind on the matter, although it doesn't change the obstacles ahead.

It is precisely why Saban has taken matters into his own hands. And make no mistake about it: Saban knows exactly what he's doing—generating a tidal wave during a time when one is normally not to be found.  

The rules are somewhat hazy, and the guidance is, well, a bit misunderstood. The result is conflict between two coaches who don't much fear what people think about them.

Saban didn't directly state that Fisher broke any rules. Fisher didn't deny that A&M's immense resources helped bring together one of the greatest recruiting classes ever assembled.

They couldn't help but get swept up in both the topic and the response. And the greatest commodity in college football, emotion, once again served as the driving force.  

The good and the bad and the angry and the euphoric are what catapult the sport into its own stratosphere. Although typically these emotions are reserved for Saturdays in the fall. 

To see a small piece of that carry over into the offseason is welcomed. Quite frankly, we could use more of it. 

The SEC might not agree. (Well, at least publicly.) It swiftly reprimanded both coaches for their comments, and Saban has since apologized. 

"I should've never really singled anyone out," Saban said on SiriusXM College during an interview on Thursday (h/t USA Today's Paul Myerberg). "That was a mistake." 

No matter the apology or the original exchange, damage has been done. Entertainment has been generated.

A rivalry that was already brewing through Texas A&M's rise on the field and on the recruiting trail, headlined by its most recent upset over Alabama last season, has taken on new life. 

They will meet again October 8 in Tuscaloosa. This much we know. Alabama fans might as well start tailgating now. 

The matchup already carried great importance; it is likely now to be one of the most anticipated regular-season college football games in recent memory.

Perhaps the war of words is over. Or maybe it's just beginning.

Regardless, as the season inches closer and real games slowly appear on the horizon, the buzz has already begun to assemble.

Although the offseason can be lingering and everlasting for those who crave actual football, it doesn't feel that way right now.

The buildup has begun. At least for the moment, the games can wait.

Jackson State head coach and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders has responded to Alabama head coach Nick Saban saying that the school paid Travis Hunter, the No. 1-ranked recruit in the 2022 class, $1 million for him to play for the Tigers.

Sanders told Jean-Jacques Taylor of Andscape:

“I haven’t talked to Coach Saban. I’m sure he’s tried to call. We need to talk publicly — not privately. What you said was public. That doesn’t require a conversation. Let’s talk publicly and let everybody hear the conversation. You can’t do that publicly and call privately. No, no, no. I still love him. I admire him. I respect him. He’s the magna cum laude of college football and that’s what it’s going to be because he’s earned that.

Sanders' comments come after Hunter himself denied being paid $1 million to play for Jackson State in a social media post on Thursday morning. 

Sanders also tweeted that Saban's comments weren't true. 

Saban turned heads Wednesday night after saying Texas A&M, which had the top-ranked recruiting class last year, "bought every player on their team" while speaking about how NIL is impacting the college football landscape. 

The 70-year-old also made a comment about the Tigers landing Hunter, who was originally committed to Florida State before flipping his commitment to Jackson State in December 2021. 

"Jackson State paid a guy a million dollars last year that was a really good Division I player to come to school," Saban said Wednesday, per Brett Greenberg of the Tuscaloosa News. "It was in the paper. They bragged about it. Nobody did anything about it."

There were rumors circulating at the time Hunter committed to Jackson State that Barstool Sports offered him $1 million to play for the Tigers, per Sports Illustrated's Dan Lyons. The speculation arose because Barstool Sports is associated with Sanders through his 21st and Prime podcast.

Sanders denied the rumor during an appearance on ESPN's Keyshawn, JWill and Max (h/t TMZ Sports) in December, saying that they didn't pay Hunter to play for Jackson State. 

"We didn't pay," Sanders said. "We ain't got no money! We ain't got no money! A million and a half? I heard a million and a half. And I heard Dave Portnoy over at Barstool—that's the biggest lie I've ever heard."

It's possible Saban only made his comments because a number of schools, such as Texas A&M, are landing top-ranked recruits due to NIL deals, and the changing landscape could make it more difficult for Alabama to land the best players in the country. 

Alabama head coach Nick Saban was the first one to apologize in what has already shaped up to be an explosive back-and-forth with Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher and Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders.

"I should have never really singled anybody out," Saban said during an appearance on ESPNU Radio (h/t Mike Rodak of AL.com). "That was a mistake and I really apologize for that part of it."

He continued and said, "I really didn't mean to single anybody out. I apologize for that. But it’s the whole system—is this a sustainable system and is this good for college football?"

Saban revealed he reached out to Fisher—who was on his staff at LSU—and Sanders but "never got a response. I feel bad about it."

He then expressed his concern with the current climate of name, image and likeness opportunities in college sports, adding he didn't insinuate Texas A&M or Jackson State were doing anything illegal but that "collectives are the issue."

Earlier this month, the NCAA released guidelines regarding booster-led collectives to reiterate that boosters cannot be involved in recruiting. In theory, there can be retroactive punishments for schools if they violated the bylaws, but potential antitrust lawsuits and a focus on the future could prevent that from happening.

While Saban was apologetic Thursday, he made headlines Wednesday when he told reporters, "A&M bought every player on their team. Made a deal for name, image and likeness. We didn't buy one player. But I don't know if we're going to be able to sustain that in the future because more and more people are doing it."

He also said, "Jackson State paid a guy a million dollars last year that was a really good Division I player to come to school. It was in the paper. They bragged about it. Nobody did anything about it."

While the Alabama coach didn't single out the player, cornerback Travis Hunter was a 5-star prospect, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and responded to the comments:         

So did his coach:

They weren't the only ones who publicly criticized Saban in the aftermath of Wednesday's comments.

Fisher told reporters the suggestions were "despicable. We're taking shots at 17-year-old kids. We never bought anyone. When [Saban] doesn't get his way or things don't go his way. Go dig into [Saban's past]. It's despicable. It's personal to us. And I know the guy. Really well."

He also called Saban a "narcissist" and said, "Some people think they're God. Go dig into how God did his deal. You may find out about a guy, a lot of things you don't want to know. We build him up to be this czar of football. Go dig into his past."       

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey issued public reprimands for both Saban and Fisher and said, "public criticism of any kind does not resolve issues and creates a distraction from seeking solutions for the issues facing college athletics today."

All of this comes after Texas A&M defeated Alabama last season and landed the No. 1 overall recruiting class of 2022, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

The Oct. 8 matchup between the Crimson Tide and Aggies will surely be one of the most anticipated games of the season.       

Head football coach Jimbo Fisher isn't the only high-profile member of Texas A&M's athletic department who took issue with comments from Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

Saban turned heads Wednesday when he told reporters: "A&M bought every player on their team. Made a deal for name, image and likeness. We didn't buy one player. But I don't know if we're going to be able to sustain that in the future because more and more people are doing it."

Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork told Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated he views the comments as a "personal attack" on the school and Fisher, and he reached out to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey about Saban potentially violating the SEC's sportsmanship bylaws.

"I don't know why Nick Saban would say what he said except he's threatened," Bjork said. "There is a saying … an emperor who loses their dynasty lashes out. He seems to be making excuses.

"This is personal. Coach Fisher views this as a personal attack on his integrity and on Texas A&M’s integrity. To have personal attacks, to say that the only reason A&M is [recruiting well] is NIL money is wrong."

Bryan Fischer of Athlon Sports shared the bylaws Bjork referenced:     

The athletic director's comments were frankly mild compared to Fisher's explosive press conference Thursday.

He told reporters Saban's suggestions were "despicable. We're taking shots at 17-year-old kids. We never bought anyone. When [Saban] doesn't get his way or things don't go his way. Go dig into [Saban's past]. It's despicable. It's personal to us. And I know the guy. Really well."

Fisher, who was an offensive coordinator on Saban's staff when the Alabama coach was at LSU, also called his former boss a "narcissist."

"Some people think they're God," Fisher said. "Go dig into how God did his deal. You may find out about a guy, a lot of things you don't want to know. We build him up to be this czar of football. Go dig into his past."      

Sankey issued public reprimands of both Saban and Fisher:

While Alabama is widely considered to be the gold standard for modern-day college football in large part because of the success Saban has enjoyed both on the field and the recruiting trail, the Aggies landed the No. 1 overall class of 2022, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Texas A&M also handed the Crimson Tide their only loss last season until the College Football Playoff championship game against Georgia.

This isn't the first time Fisher has defended his program against such rumors after bringing in such an impressive recruiting class. He said the "insinuation" players only came to the Aggies because of money was "insulting" in February, noting "the things that people say are very irresponsible."       

The NCAA may have at least looked into Texas A&M, as Dellenger reported Bjork said the organization requested information about the program's recruiting but never followed up after the initial ask.

One thing is certain. The Oct. 8 matchup between Alabama and Texas A&M in Tuscaloosa will be appointment viewing for all college football fans.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin thought Jimbo Fisher left some money on the table with his press conference addressing comments Nick Saban had made about Texas A&M paying for recruits.

In a viral moment from Thursday, Fisher told reporters that "some people think they’re God" and implied Saban might have some skeletons in his closet:

Kiffin apparently had the same reaction as everyone else watching the scene unfold.

"This can’t really be happening...is this real life?" he said of what he was thinking to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman. "I still haven’t moved from my seat. That should've been on pay-per-view."

The press conference certainly felt like something that belonged in professional wrestling. One coach needling another in public is nothing new, but this went well beyond that.

Fisher and his staff put together the No. 1 recruiting class in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2022. The group includes eight 5-star players and 19 4-star players, and it's the single best class ever.

In February, Fisher took exception to the notion the name, image and likeness money played a role in the Aggies attracting so much talent:

That didn't stop Saban on Wednesday from saying "A&M bought every player on their team" and adding Alabama "didn't buy one player."

Once Texas A&M announced Fisher was holding an impromptu press conference, fans knew things were going to take an even more dramatic turn.

Perhaps Saban will offer a rebuttal in short order. Otherwise, it may not be until July 19 at the SEC media days until the coaching legend publicly addresses Fisher's remarks.

The next on-field encounter between the Aggies and Crimson Tide on Oct. 8 can't come soon enough, either.