Lane Kiffin sides with Nick Saban following bold Hugh Freeze claim about retired HC

Lane Kiffin simply shook his head at the insinuation from Hugh Freeze that he should have four wins against Nick Saban -- Freeze referring to the blown leads in the 2023 Iron Bowl and a 2016 matchup where his Ole Miss Rebels ceded a three-touchdown lead over the Crimson Tide at Vaught Hemingway Stadium -- and shared the reaction on X.

Freeze's conversation with SEC Network's Marty Smith and Ryan McGee aired on August 12. During it, Freeze shared the bold take about the legendary retired coach.

“We honestly — Nick is incredible, but I should have 4 wins against him," Freeze said (h/t Saturday Down South). "We beat him twice and we had them 24-3 the 3rd year (at Ole Miss) and I wasn’t smart enough to slow it down… I may not have phrased that exactly right, but we easily could have beaten him a few more times.”

Hugh Freeze can end up putting his foot in mouth with bold Nick Saban claim

Not since Cam Newton led the Tigers in "the Camback" has Auburn knocked off Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Even though the Crimson Tide is assuredly set to drop off under Kalen DeBoer at some point, mainly because Saban's standard is so vaunted, the 12-team College Football Playoff is likely to bring more parity to the sport, and new powers like Georgia, Texas, and Ohio State (and maybe Oregon?) likely to rise in the coming years due to NIL spending, it might not happen immediately. And Freeze's footprint on the Tigers won't be felt fully until 2025 or 2026.

This all to say: Freeze's claim about Saban may be revisited, and used against him, in late November if DeBoer's squad covers the nearly two-touchdown spread the 2024 Iron Bowl has in favor of the Tide. Sure, the spread could, and likely will, change, but we don't even know yet in which direction.

Freeze has every right to be as confident as possible given the recruiting heater he is on. But retroactively claiming you should have beaten someone who is retired comes off as grasping at straws.