The form and shape of traditional college football are evolving amidst a series of head-turning experiments. We are just a year down from the new 12-team playoff format, and there have already been serious talks about further expansion (14 or 16 teams) in the coming years. SEC and B1G will get additional bids per a rough sketch of the proposed model. Now, to execute the bigger teams’ bracket, it’s necessary to develop a tighter scrutiny net to avoid any misuse of the full-grown leverage. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin might land on the other side of the fair play if it goes further down the road.

We often see medical personnel enter the field and rush to take care of an aching player in the middle of the game. Now, injuries are a real serious concern among each team, as they can shatter their game or a whole season and turn their lofty dreams into ashes within a few seconds. But guess what is even more daunting? Well, without a doubt, the pretension of being hurt to slow down or to escape an allotted timeout.

Faking injuries has become a significant issue in recent years, with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and others vehemently condemning the practice. The SEC has already issued guidelines that included fines and potential suspensions for coaches whose players try to get away with faking an injury. The American Football Coaches Association had proposed requiring any players who need medical attention to miss an entire possession rather than only one play. They would champion the idea- “If you’re acting hurt, you’d better be hurt.” However, the quarterbacks will be immune to this rule, but every other player on the team would have to pay the price for their deception.

But the committee rules out the proposal, deeming it too harsh to be implemented. They would rather go for a lighter punishment, a timeout, and a five-yard penalty for the team if a player required medical attention- most notably after the ball has been spotted for play.

”If we have a player that’s struggling, and the official stops the clock to get that player out, we will not invoke the timeout,” said Steve Shaw, the secretary-rules editor for football and the SEC and Sun Belt’s coordinator of football officials on Friday. “There’s these plays where the ball’s down, the defense is still trying to get to their side of the ball, and a player falls down. Those are the types of plays that we don’t want, that we think are a bad look, and we think this rule will address it.

Now, the decision can fall heavily on Lane Kiffin. Remember the controversial Kentucky game? Well, even if you don’t, fans are wide awake in their judgment and don’t leave a chance to call out the coach in the wake of a new NCAA ruling.

Fans get under the skin of Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin after old fake injury claims reignites

On September 28, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart was caught on camera motioning his running back Matt Jones to fall to the ground and fake an injury to get a stoppage in play. Fans bashed Lane Kiffin on the internet, claiming they have been doing this since the former took charge. To dilute the outrage, the Rebels issued an official statement in early October, noting they had provided all the necessary medical information to the national coordinator for football and also informed the SEC office about the whole alleged mishap. However, the investigation reportedly didn’t reach any climax later in the season, but fans didn’t forget. They called the coach out again in the comment and wrote: ‘‘@Lane_Kiffin– You’re cooked.” 

Most of them echo the same sentiment, lambasting the veteran Rebels coach for an unresolved offense, saying,: ”@OleMissFB in shambles. Some fans believe that there should be some necessary updates in the rule: ”Take the player out of the possession.” Another put the crap out as it is, ”Lane Kiffin seething right now.” But not only for the latest NCAA ruling conversation on feigned injuries. The uprooted Las Vegas head coach Jon Gruden would be reinstated to their Ring of Honor after being removed following a scandal in 2021, and it turns out Lane Kiffin had an instrumental role in it.

Last summer, at Monte Kiffin’s celebration of life, members of the Glazer family—owners of the team—attended and were deeply impacted by a story told by the younger Kiffin (Lane Kiffin). The Ole Miss head coach noted how his dad believes in granting people a second chance no matter what they did. It basically culminated in a game-changing decision of the committee. However, irrespective of the controversial role in the NFL head coach’s rebound journey, Kiffin remains the sureshot villain of the injury scandal. Fans continue reminding him, ‘‘About time @Lane_Kiffin.”

We will see how the rule pans out in the future and how it impacts the fate of Lane Kiffin and his team.