Lane Kiffin’s probably having a little chuckle watching these playoffs unfold. When you limit the field to just 12 teams, some incredible programs get left out. And Kiffin’s 9-3 Rebels were one of them. But the Rebels HC has been outspoken in his belief that his team was unfairly excluded. Indiana, with their 11-1 record, waltzed into the playoffs, while SEC powerhouses like Ole Miss and Alabama, with three losses each, watched from the sidelines. The Rebels argued that the strength of schedule should have been a greater consideration and that the committee should have given it more weight when selecting the 12 teams. But we all know how it ended, don’t we?

Kiffin wasn’t happy about being left out of the playoffs, and he made that pretty clear again on Friday night. Yes, following Indiana’s crushing defeat by the Fighting Irish in their opening-round match. And following this explosion, Lane Kiffin has a seven-word message for the CFP committee. “Really exciting competitive game @CFBPlayoff. Great job!!” stated Kiffin in his X post. That being said, Notre Dame led 20-3 late in the 4th quarter and controlled the game from beginning to end. However, even though Indiana scored a few points in the closing minutes of the game to make it seem more deserving, Notre Dame won 27-17 in the end.

As of now, many SEC squads would point to this as their first example when arguing that their conference should be given more weight when discussing the playoffs. But the reality is that you still need to win games to qualify. Safe to say, avoid losing 3 games in a row if you want to compete for the championship. That’s the bottom line!

While Kiffin’s POV is clear, his squad would have undoubtedly been included if the score had been 10-2 instead of 9-3. Notably, a victory over unranked Kentucky at home, which ended in a 20-17, would have greatly enhanced the CV. But the key question remains: did missing the playoffs hurt Kiffin’s teams?

Did Lane Kiffin’s playoff snub cost him big?

Lane Kiffin is never shy about speaking his mind, especially when it comes to the College Football Playoff. He really pushed for his team, arguing that their tough schedule and impressive resume deserved a spot. And he wasn’t buying CFP head Warde Manuel’s explanation for why they were left out during the final selection show. “I want to make sure everybody understands that we value strength of schedule,” Manuel stated. Where Kiffin replied, “You guys actually meet for days and come up with these rankings?” Well, expect more of his witty debates and banter.

Kiffin will definitely keep arguing his point, but there’s no doubt that missing the playoffs had an impact on his Ole Miss team. For now, the Rebels HC hasn’t mentioned any notable player losses that can be directly linked to the playoff rejection. Nonetheless, since the transfer portal opened on December 9th, things have been a bit chaotic for the Rebels. They’re about to lose three offensive linemen—Cam East, Kavion Broussard, and Mana Taimani—to the portal. On top of that, several players are graduating, which is a major concern for Coach Kiffin heading into next season.

Despite all the recruiting drama, Coach Kiffin is now focused on the upcoming Gator Bowl. The Ole Miss Rebels are gearing up to face Duke on January 2nd. The question is: can Kiffin and his team put the playoff snub behind them and come out strong for this bowl game? Yeah, it’s not a playoff game, but it’s still a chance to finish the season on a positive note, especially after that little jab he took at Indiana.