Lane Kiffin talks pregame handshake with Nick Saban, being ‘Finebaum’d’ by Michael Wilbon – AL.com

Lane Kiffin shed some light on a pre-game ritual and, apparently, is a bit of a linguist.

So goes just another run-of-the-mill interview on the “Paul Finebaum Show.” The Ole Miss coach made a guest appearance with Finebaum and discussed – again – his reaction to Michael Wilbon’s hot take in which he called Kiffin a “clown.”

The Rebels coach, who takes his team into Tuscaloosa against No. 1-ranked Alabama on Saturday, also made up a new word: “Finebaum’d.”

Let’s tackle the Wilbon situation first.

During Tuesday’s “Pardon the Interruption,” Wilbon went off on the Ole Miss head coach calling him “a clown” and “an embarrassment” ahead of Saturday’s game.

“Lane Kiffin is a clown,” Wilbon said. “He’s been an embarrassment at multiple stops. Nobody’s gonna run out and say I want Lane Kiffin right here on the logo representing me.

“Lane Kiffin’s a cute little story for those who have to talk sports every day. … Lane Kiffin equals embarrassment at some point wherever he is.”

Kiffin, who clapped back on Twitter, took it all in stride with Finebaum on Wednesday.

“I thought it was unusual,” Kiffin said. “Normally those type of things are said about you by some fan in a chat room, not a professional media member. I thought it was a little bit different, especially since it is coming from someone who has never met you and doesn’t know you at all.”

Kiffin, always keeping it light quipped, “I did see it yesterday and said, ‘Man, that guy Finebaum’d me’ to the delight, of course, of Finebaum.

In another moment of levity, he gave the college football-watching world an explanation of what actually is said in those on-the-field, pre-game meet and greets between coaches. The short answer is a whole lot of nothing. That includes when he plays Alabama and Saban.

“They really are irrelevant,” Kiffin said of the pre-game chats with opposing coaches. “Both people are ready for the game. It’s really just some tradition that they have.

“You go out there and he’ll say, ‘Welcome,’” he said of his talks with Saban. “Talk about the weather. How’s everything? (I’ll ask,) how’s Miss. Terry doing? That’s about it.”

It sounds like as college football seems to be evolving with the potential for CFP expansion, conference re-alignment and NIL deals that perhaps it might be time to get rid of the pre-game meeting.

“I mean what do people really think we talk about out there?” he asked. “Hey, we’re really gonna work on your safety with some double moves today. I mean there just isn’t a whole lot to say.”

Check out the full interview here.

Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.