Lane Kiffin has been bitter with the SEC for the whole season. The College Football Playoff rankings are here, and the Ole Miss Rebels landed in the No.14 spot. Well, that looks like a well-deserved spot, particularly after Kiffin’s boys had to bear the blows that came with three losses. So already they are in choppy waters, dozing off their playoff hopes. Now the only way to slide into the playoffs is to pray for the rivals’ fall. Maybe the Rebels HC too is manifesting a miracle that would turn things in their favor. 

November 29 was indeed a good day for Kiffin and the boys. After all, they grabbed a 26-14 W over the Mississippi State over their annual Thanksgiving Day ritual, the Egg Bowl. But that’s not enough to boost their chances. As per the Playoff Predictor, Ole Miss now has just a 4.67% chance to make it to the playoffs. And Kiffin is in no way ready to call it quits. As bad as it might sound, the Ole Miss man is waiting with bated breath for some SEC chaos to unfold. He confessed in an interview talking about the Rebels’ playoff hopes, “Just watch the games tomorrow and see how that unfolds…the SEC is just different.”

As we all know, though it’s a 12-team playoff, the rankings do not account for the best 12 teams that get free access to the playoffs. In that case, a program ranked lower than Lane Kiffin’s will find themselves lucky to get a spot in the playoffs due to winning the Big 12. Going by the calculations, Ole Miss is in dire need of getting at least the No.11 rank to feel safe. At the moment, No. 12 Clemson and No. 13 Alabama are the only ones to be targeted. Meanwhile, Kiffin’s QB has his eyes on Georgia. 

When Jaxson Dart was asked about Ole Miss’ chances in the playoffs, he hinted at looking up to the Georgia Bulldogs for a chance to show college football who they are—“I think without a doubt we are one of the best teams in the country; you can ask Kirby Smart…if we get a shot at it, we will run with it.” But why?  

Lane Kiffin’s and Jaxson Dart’s last dance together

Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs are at No.7 in the rankings, so it’s highly likely they will ace their Week 14 matchups. Plus, Georgia is fighting for their title game against Georgia Tech on November 29. It looks like Kiffin and Dart are waiting for the Bulldogs to fall and lose the SEC Championship game that would stop them from advancing. As the Rebels HC-QB duo has kept their eyes on their rivals, hoping for chaos to ensue, they made sure to end their final home game on an emotional note.

Time for some brutal reality check, folks! The next season, when Lane Kiffin takes the field at the Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, the No.2 jersey will be missing. Yes, the Rebels will have a new quarterback as Dart will be off to the NFL. But at least he could gift the Ole Miss fans a win that made the signal caller emotional. In a clip that went viral, Dart was spotted giving Lane Kiffin a tight hug as he fought back his tears with his senior season coming to an end. 

Wondering what he must have said to the HC who had the QB in each of his three seasons since taking up the mentoring job? “I said I love him…This place is near and dear to my heart. And Coach Kiffin was my biggest influence and someone that helped guide me through this process,” said the QB. Now let’s see if Lane Kiffin and Jaxson Dart can turn their wishes into wins.