CFB analyst claims Lane Kiffin 'not good enough' to lead Ole Miss to college football playoff

Lane Kiffin will be heading into his sixth season as the head coach at Ole Miss with hopes of making the college football playoff. Despite going 10-3 last season, they didn't make the cut. In the postseason, Kiffin criticized the selection committee and the criteria for selecting the top 12 programs in the country and that the Rebels were not considered.

But this season, things have become more flexible, as all 12 spots will be filled based on the committee’s rankings and not on the basis of who wins the conference championships or week one byes.

Even though Ole Miss finds itself in a decent condition, CFB insider Michael Bratton is not convinced. The SEC podcast host was recently on "The Paul Finebaum Show," where he shared his analysis for different programs, including Ole Miss. He believes the Rebels team of 2025 has a lot of fresh faces and doesn't look much more stable compared to last year. Hence, he doesn't see them making the playoffs.

“They were sneaky good last year," Bratton said (Timestamp: 8:15). "But you know that defense was arguably the best in the conference, particularly against the run, yet they couldn't get it done with three head scratching losses.

“The one at LSU was forgettable. Kentucky and Florida were not and this roster is not nearly as good. So the path is there for Ole Miss, but I call Lane Kiffin Lane whipping for a reason.

"Paul, he'll whiff on a game or two, a critical one, that'll cost the Rebels another shot at the college football playoff. I think they'll be good but maybe eight and four. Not nearly good enough to make the hellish football playoff,” he added.

Insider ditches Ole Miss for Texas A&M to make the fourth SEC team in the playoff

This year, it is going to be tough for SEC teams as the competition has gotten a lot bigger. The schedules look scary, especially having back-to-back matchups against top programs. For Ole Miss, it's no different. They will meet LSU on Week 5, Georgia on Week 7 and Oklahoma on Week 8.

Bratton claims only Texas, Georgia, Alabama and potentially Texas A&M will be the SEC teams that will make their way to the 12-team extended playoff bracket. The Aggies comparatively have a lighter schedule and could surpass 11 wins this season.