MARLER: Biggest Judas moments in SEC history

By Chris Marler

There are some things you should never talk about at the dinner table or professionally and religion is right up near the top. 

I’m giving myself a get out of jail free card for that today since it’s Holy Thursday. 

What were the biggest Judas moments in SEC history? Here are a few. 

Jim Schlossnagle to Texas 

The rivalry between Texas and Texas A&M certainly doesn’t need any extra juice. It’s one of the saltiest, year-round rivalries in college sports. 

Texas A&M was able to evade their proverbial big brother for about a decade when they left the Big 12 and joined the SEC. They were even able to distance themselves as the better program. Then, big brother decided to move back in and join the conference. 

As it turns out, just weeks before their move to the SEC, they pulled off one of the biggest coups, leaving their in-state rival with a bruised ego as big as Texas.

Schlossnagle left Texas A&M for Texas and did so while negotiating with the Longhorns from Omaha. He did that while his team was playing for the national championship in the College World Series. 

Jim Schlossnagle officially leaves Texas A&M to become head coach of the Texas Longhorns pic.twitter.com/OReiz6vXrZ

— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) June 25, 2024

Lane Kiffin to, well, anywhere

No amount of water can put out the bridges that Lane Kiffin has burned on his way out the door.

A decade and a half ago he left Tennessee as fans literally rioted outside the football offices. Kiffin was inside the building during the chaos, calling currently committed recruits from Tennessee issued cell phones to try and flip their commitment and follow him to Southern Cal. 

He left Alabama as the offensive coordinator during the week of the national title game because of how distracted Nick Saban felt his new job at FAU was during their prep for Clemson. Alabama would lose that game after blowing a 14 point lead. 

Then, there was his exit from Ole Miss that will not be forgotten about for a very long time in Oxford. Kiffin bailed on the Rebels right before their College Football Playoff run for LSU. Jesus probably forgave; Ole Miss fans certainly have not. 

And with that new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin leaves Oxford and boards a plane bound for Baton Rouge. pic.twitter.com/tMyhP8y6Ue

— John Talty (@JTalty) November 30, 2025

Nick Saban to Alabama 

He’s finally been forgiven, but there was a long period of time when even mentioning Nick Saban’s name in Baton Rouge began with a four letter word around Baton Rouge. 

Saban resurrected (no pun intended) the LSU football program and brought it to heights they hadn’t seen in the Boot in 40 or more years. The program was dormant and dead prior to him, enduring eight losing seasons in the 11 years before his arrival. That quickly changed when he got to campus, as the Tigers won a national title in his fourth year. 

Their throne atop the college football mountain top didn’t exactly break when he left for the Miami Dolphins job. It remained there for a year even after he returned to Alabama. 

That return to their rival, though, turned a once docile divisional rivalry into an all out annual war year in and year out. Alabama and Nick Saban held a decided upper hand for over a decade while he was in Tuscaloosa. 

Finally, his reign, and Alabama’s, came to an end, and the prodigal son of Baton Rouge has finally been welcomed back with open arms. For most people, at least. 

Nick Saban was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame last night:

“Every time I see LSU – all the time I coached at Alabama – I know it was a great rivalry, but I was always proud because I felt like we did something to raise the bar here.”

(via @JacquesDoucet) pic.twitter.com/a4tIjUmT6r

— Sidelines – Bama (@SSN_Alabama) June 29, 2025