This is an opinion column.

The room at Bryant-Denny Stadium where visiting coaches and players speak with reporters after games is a stuffy space.

The problem is a matter of ventilation. It’s one of those quirky features of an old stadium that makes covering games in the SEC such a memorable experience for reporters. It’s beautiful in its venerable staleness. History seemingly hangs in the air because, well, that might very well be the same air from 1992.

I’m not an architect of stadiums or anything, but proper air conditioning for opponents of Alabama doesn’t seem like a high priority for the Crimson Tide at home games. To keep the air flowing, a fan constantly spins in the back during visiting-team new conferences. It rattles, the fan, and so a constant din of ambient clatter creates an audible backdrop of sticky, humid defeat.

Dynasty still dancing along at Alabama or not, few are the opponents who breathe the rare air of victory after playing in Bryant-Denny.

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CASAGRANDE: Kiffin is again sad clown, can’t troll his way past Alabama

This past week, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin was louder than a belligerent drunk on Bourbon Street leading up to his moment inside that cramped room of never-ending losses. Then, after his team collapsed 24-10 on Saturday, noisy Kiffin spoke so softly in that small room that I sometimes had to read his lips to understand what he was saying. Call it the great silencing of a mediocre football coach.

Low-talking Lane, Prince Trollio of the Southeastern Conference, couldn’t even manage to project his voice over a circular fan.

What’s that, Lane? Gotta speak up. The tweets were undefeated this week, but that the fan in the back is winning the post-game news conference.

“They came out and played really physical,” Kiffin said. “Did a good job on defense.”

I couldn’t understand much more of Kiffin’s commentary on the game, but the word “disappointing” stood out. This was Kiffin’s best chance — and maybe last chance — to add his name to the list of former Saban assistants-turned-head coaches who have bested their old boss. It has to hurt, always running his mouth and then getting punched in the grill again and again and again.

I enjoy covering Kiffin, and I think his personality is great for the SEC, but I’m beginning to wonder if he’ll ever be an elite coach in this league. His teams struggle too often in big games. Kiffin could have left Ole Miss for Auburn last season. I’m not sure Hugh Freeze is the answer on the Plains, but maybe the final joke is on Ole Miss for giving Kiffin that huge pile of money.

Forget ever competing for a national championship at Ole Miss. Dating back to last season, Ole Miss has lost five of its last six games against teams in the SEC.

Kiffin seemed so sure of himself this week. If a pattern is emerging other than Kiffin losing all of his conference games it’s this. He’s always good for two forms of humor come Alabama week, delivering the sarcasm routine early and then saving the slapstick for Saturdays.

For the second year in a row, his team fell on its face.

The verdict is still out on No.13 Alabama after its uneven victory, but Kiffin proved once again that he’s the choke artist of the SEC West.

Alabama only managed 115 yards of offense in the first half. The game was there for Ole Miss, but Alabama finally began to resemble the idea of a complete team in the second half. In the third and fourth quarters, Alabama’s offense out-gained Ole Miss 241 to 148. The crumbling of Ole Miss was worse than anything we’ve seen in the SEC West this season, and that includes Auburn’s ineptitude against Texas A&M on Saturday.

Who did Kiffin reckon called plays for Alabama’s defense? These ears strained to hear his answer even when enhanced by my $350 studio-quality Beats by Dre.

“I don’t know, but they did a good job,” Kiffin said. “I commend them. Maybe Coach took over.”

Kiffin offered a sheepish grin when he said that last bit. Maybe because he knew his mouth contributed to this loss just as much as his defense.

When Kiffin says, “Coach,” he’s referring to Nick Saban. It’s a curious form of respect coming from someone who loves nothing more than taking shots at Saban leading up to games against Alabama. I don’t think it’s anything personal. After all, Kiffin makes a fun sport of throwing shade at Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, too. Innocent ribbing or not, Kiffin called a special news conference last Sunday to very clearly question Saban’s defense after Texas handed Alabama its first loss in Bryant-Denny in 21 games.

Kiffin hired Alabama’s former defensive coordinator, Pete Golding, in the offseason. To replace Golding, who many believe was forced out at Alabama, Saban brought an old friend back into the fold. Veteran coach Kevin Steele is Alabama’s defensive coordinator this season, and Kiffin suggested that Steele had his play-calling duties stripped after the loss to Texas.

It was Kiffin who created the narrative about Steele, but, in the end, Kiffin shifted some blame for his loss on the media.

“You guys saying the dynasty is over and they ain’t good anymore, they use that all week,” Kiffin said.

Say what, coach? Can’t hear you in this tiny room of silence.

Kiffin blew hot air at Saban all week. That noisy fan blew it all right back.

Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of “We Want Bama”, a book about togetherness, wild times and rum. You can find him on Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr.