Two of the biggest personalities in the SEC will meet this week in a game college football fans have looked forward to since Mike Leach and Lane Kiffin arrived at Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

Now it’s the Egg Bowl, and Leach was asked on Monday at his press conference what he sees in Kiffin and why they appear to get along.

“I guess we both knew Monte, Lane knew Monte Kiffin first, and then I met Monte and then Monte introduced me and Lane,” Leach said of Kiffin’s father. “I guess we’re both mutual friends with Monte. That kind of brought us together. Just over the years, seeing him around coaching, spending time with him. He’s an enjoyable guy. The worst thing, especially in this day in age in coaching or in life or anytime you’re doing something as repetitious as football, you try to avoid as many boring people as you can. Lane’s not boring, so I’ve always been excited to spend time with him if you’re stuck at one of these coaching meeting things that everybody pretends are so important. Lane lightens it up a little bit, and I for one am happy he’s there.”

Mississippi State has won two straight, and three of the last five Egg Bowls.

Leach said he doesn’t put any more pressure on himself in this game because he does for every one. Speaking of rivalries, Washington has a seven-game winning streak over Leach’s former program, Washington State, in the Apple Cup, and he said they were much more successful at Texas Tech in the rivalry with Texas A&M.

“Everybody’s plenty engaged, you hear about it all year round, you’ve got everybody’s attention, that’s not the issue, but the focus and to prepare is the biggest issue,” he said.