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Before the season, Lane Kiffin was expected to lead the Ole Miss football program to one of its best seasons ever. But things have not gone according to plan in Oxford, and Kiffin is turning his attention to the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) as a result.
Kiffin's 9-3 Rebels were ranked 13th in the latest CFP rankings, leaving them out of the first 12-team playoff. Although much could still change before the CFP committee releases its final batch of rankings next week, Ole Miss, barring a miracle, will not be among the dozen teams vying for a national championship.
While teams in front of the Rebels could and very well may lose — six of the 12 teams ahead of Ole Miss play in a conference title game this weekend — CFP committee chairman Warde Manuel indicated that teams who do not play in a conference championship game this weekend would not move relative to each other.
Additionally, the committee must take the five highest-ranked conference champions, even if they are outside the top 12. That means the Big 12 champion, either No. 15 Arizona State or No. 16 Iowa State, will punch its ticket to the playoff regardless of their final ranking next weekend. Similarly, No. 20 UNLV would jump over higher-ranked power conference teams if they beat No. 10 Boise State in the Mountain West Conference Championship Game.
Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin fires off on ACC after probable CFP snub
Kiffin's ire (this time) was not directed at the Big 12 nor the Mountain West, though. Instead, Kiffin took aim at the ACC, which has two teams — No. 8 SMU and No. 12 Miami — ahead of the Rebels in the CFP rankings.
“You guys actually meet for days and come up with these rankings?? @CFBPlayoff,” Kiffin wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Do you actually watch the quality of players, teams, and road environments (we played in one of yours this year 💤) or just try and make the ACC feel relevant ?? Btw one of your teams paid us not to play again next year. Same #12 spot you guys had Clemson ranked last week. How did that go against the @SEC??? Rewatch UGA Clemson closely if you want a reminder of the two conferences. #SpotTheBall anywhere @ACCFootball #RemeberTakeAKnee”
Despite Kiffin's frustrations, the ACC very well may only get one team — its conference champion — in the 12-team playoff. Like Ole Miss, Miami, which lost to Syracuse on Saturday, is on the outside looking in. They are both behind Alabama, which is currently projected to receive the CFP's final at-large bid.
In the ACC Championship Game, SMU (11-1) will play No. 17 Clemson (9-3), which, as Kiffin alluded to, was thumped by No. 5 Georgia, a team Ole Miss handily defeated. Despite the Mustangs going undefeated in conference play, a feat only done by themselves and No. 1 Oregon of the Big Ten, SMU, with a loss to Clemson, very well may fall behind Alabama and miss the playoff.
