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The No. 9 ranked Ole Miss football program has a potential route to the SEC Championship. For head coach Lane Kiffin, he's less than optimistic about making his conference title game. His reasoning has nothing to do with winning, but rather, the ramifications that come with it.
“I’ve talked to other coaches so I’m just going to give you kind of the feeling from some other coaches,” Kiffin said in a press conference. “They don’t want to be in it. The reward to get a bye versus the risk to get knocked out completely, that’s a really big risk.”
For instance, Georgia football had a stellar 2023 season, going undefeated. However, they made it to the SEC Championship against Alabama football, and Georgia football was eliminated from national championship contention. Despite losing only one game and Alabama losing one before, it didn't matter.
Now, the College Football Playoff has expanded to 12 teams, making it less likely for that scenario to happen. However, the SEC is stacked with playoff-contending teams. Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss round up the candidates who could be in the CFP. With all five teams in the top 10 of the AP poll, it could be a scenario where one team doesn't get in, despite potentially being better than other conference champions.
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Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss football could get the short end of the stick in an SEC Championship game
However, the SEC Championship could ultimately determine who gets a spot and who doesn't. Paul Finebaum joined ESPN's Get Up and broke down the juxtaposition with aiming for the conference title game.
“SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey told me last week it should be a reward to get to the championship game,” Finebaum said. “The bad news is, it is not. Kirby Smart last year had an undefeated regular season, he went to the championship game, lost to Nick Saban, and got knocked out of the playoffs. So yes, what Lane Kiffin said is correct. You’d rather not go there but the problem is, you don’t have a choice in the matter.”
Finebaum hit the nail right on the head. Going back to Georgia football, their example highlights a big “why” as to why coaches don't want to be in the title game. They can make the playoff without being in the title game. However, it's extremely difficult to secure a spot without that win. Even if that's the case, playing as an underdog through the entire playoff could make a negative difference.
A potential Georgia and Ole Miss SEC Championship game could transpire. However, whoever loses the title game might be in for a rude awakening about making the CFP.
