Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk has always carried his edge beyond the rink, and this season has been no different. Even though he is dealing with a long-term injury, his competitive spark has found a home in college football. Loyalty and rivalry thrive there, and it appears Tkachuk is drawn to both.

The Panthers continue to search for rhythm this season, but Tkachuk’s attention has stretched into a new arena, setting up a story that follows.

Matthew Tkachuk Picks Sides in Lane Kiffin-LSU-Ole Miss Drama

Florida sits at 12-12-1 this season, a steady but unspectacular mark for a team fresh off a championship. With Tkachuk recovering from August surgery, the Panthers have shown two sides of themselves. One night, the team dominates strong opponents; the next, they struggle to manage simple breakdowns. The talent remains, but consistency has been harder to hold.

Tkachuk has stayed present in conversations around the team, even without stepping on the ice. Much of that attention now comes from his podcast with brother Brady, where they talked about college football this Wednesday. Their discussion turned toward Lane Kiffin’s move from Ole Miss to LSU, a decision that stirred emotions across fanbases and clearly struck a nerve with Tkachuk.

On the podcast, he made his thoughts perfectly clear, picking sides in the LSU vs Ole Miss debate.

“I hope Ole Miss beats the s**t out of them next year, but I mean, you can’t fault the guy,” Tkachuk said. “I mean, if he gets… and I don’t know the details, but if he gets paid a lot more money… I know it’s the rival. I think about other s**t in life, so… It’s a tough one for me, but I’m still an Ole Miss guy though.”

Also Read: Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk on Rumors Around Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Future

There’s been more than enough said on Kiffin’s sudden move to LSU, especially given the dynamics involved. The announcement itself set social media ablaze as LSU made the decision to make Kiffin one of the country’s highest-paid coaches at $13 million a year over seven years (80% of which is guaranteed), behind only Georgia’s Kirby Smart, who currently earns a shade under $13.3 million.

On last week’s podcast, Tkachuk went on record to say that he would be “devastated” if Kiffin left Ole Miss.

“They’re all offering pretty much the same money, so it’s really just whatever he wants to pick. I’ll be devastated if he leaves Ole Miss, but in the same sense, I don’t know why he would go to Florida, other than the history of the program,” the two-time Stanley Cup champion said.