By Andrew McCartyShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberAfter the College Football Playoff rankings were released last week, college football columnist Dan Wolken of Yahoo Sports speculated that Lane Kiffin leaving Ole Miss in the midst of its incredible season might leave the Rebels on the outside looking in.
"The question of the day is whether Ole Miss would do something to force the issue. Is there truly a hard deadline or ultimatum? We don’t know for sure, but the idea Kiffin could coach against Mississippi State next week and announce he’s taking either LSU or Florida shortly after is clearly one of the scenarios Ole Miss has gamed out in recent days," Wolken said.
"In that situation, it’s hard to imagine Kiffin being allowed to coach the Rebels in the CFP. And yet, it would be an abdication of responsibility for Ole Miss officials not to consider whether a messy Kiffin departure in the next couple weeks would give the committee a reason to leave them out of the playoff altogether."
More Football: National Champion Coach Could Join Lane Kiffin at LSU
...More College Football: Ohio State Star Jeremiah Smith Breaks Social Media Silence Amid Injury
Wolken likened the situation to Florida State being left out of the College Football Playoff after finishing the season as a 13-0 conference champion...and it appears the College Football Playoff committee is ready to play hard ball with the Rebels.
On Tuesday, Nov. 25 the playoff committee moved the Oregon Ducks to No. 6 and moved Ole Miss back to No. 7 following the Rebels' bye week.
Loading twitter content...
Is this an indication of the playoff committee considering Kiffin's future with the team or simply giving Oregon credit for its 42-27 victory over then-No. 15 USC? Either way it's a brutal blow for the Rebels, who might not have a chance to win the SEC to improve their standing in the final rankings.
More NFL: Al Michaels Under Fire for ‘Rough’ Bills-Texans Game
Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines
Add Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Recommended For You
NCAALane Kiffin Announcement Could Come Before Egg Bowl: Report2 min read
Affiliate LinksHow to Watch Arizona State vs Texas: Live Stream Maui Invitational NCAA College Basketball, TV Channel2 min read
NCAAOle Miss Players Unhappy With Lane Kiffin’s ‘Circus’: Report3 min read
NCAAOle Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss Sends Message to Fans Amid Lane Kiffin Rumors2 min read
NCAAAlabama Coach Connected to California Job Opening2 min read
NCAATulane, Jon Sumrall Dealt Major Recruiting Blow Amid Florida Rumors3 min readRelated Podcasts
Top Stories
WorldTrump Says Talks With Putin, Zelensky Await Final Peace Deal: Live Updates3 min read
NewsTrump May Defeat Maduro Without Battle and Lose War in Venezuela14 min read
PoliticsIs Donald Trump Losing Republicans? What Polls Show6 min read
NewsPete Hegseth Sets New Deadline in Mark Kelly Probe4 min read
Live BlogThanksgiving Travel: Map Shows States Where Travel To Be Impacted By Winter Storms2 min read
EntertainmentDancing with the Stars: Five Couples Battle for the Mirrorball Trophy in Finale—Live Updates1 min readTrending
MoneyNew ‘Cash Law’ Could Change Grocery Store Rules3 min read
SnowfallWinter Storm Warning Issued As 25 Inches of Snow To Strike5 min read
National Weather ServiceWinter Storm Alert Issued as 12 Inches of Snow Set To Hit3 min read
U.S. Economy‘Mass Blackout’ Starts Today: What to Know3 min read
Home PricesPrice Correction ‘Worse Than 2008’ Coming To US Housing Market—Analyst5 min readOpinion
OpinionGOP Rep.: The U.S. Must Close Critical AI Chip Export Loophole Exploited by China | Opinion5 min read
OpinionAgriculture Secretary: Giving Thanks to the American Farmer This Thanksgiving | Opinion4 min read
OpinionFormer White House Middle East Envoy: What We Keep Getting Wrong About the UAE and Sudan | Opinion5 min read
OpinionGovernment-Mandated Affordability—Music to Consumer Ears | Opinion6 min read
OpinionConventional Wisdom: Ukraine Peace Plan Edition2 min read
