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Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin backed a 16-team College Football Playoff this week at SEC Spring Meetings, per On3 reporter Andy Staples. Pushing to scrap automatic bids for top conference champions in favor of the final CFP rankings, Kiffin said:
“The best system would be 16, and it would be the 16 best.”
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The 2024 season marked the first with a 12-team field. Ole Miss finished No. 14 and missed the cut after a 9-3 regular season. A 16-team model would remove first-round byes and, according to Kiffin, reward overall strength.
Other SEC programs support the change. Commissioner Greg Sankey said athletic directors believe they’ve “given too much away to arrive at these political compromises.” He also floated the idea of play-in games before CFP selection.
Not all fans are convinced. One wrote:
“Ole Miss isn’t getting in even if the playoff had 30+ teams.”
“I can see why Lane would want 16…,” another wrote.
“Only saying this cuz he couldn’t make the 12 since he lost to 4-8 Kentucky💀💀. He knows next year or the year after won’t be any easier,” another commented.
“Or just be good enough to make the 12 team,” one wrote.
“He’s just saying that because he would’ve gotten in if it was 16 spots,” another wrote.
“Ole Miss should go far so long as they don’t run into the Kentucky buzzsaw,” another commented.
Lane Kiffin is featured on the deluxe edition cover of EA Sports' College Football 26
Lane Kiffin appears on the deluxe edition cover of EA Sports' "College Football 26," revealed May 27. The image shows a crowd of coaches, players and mascots. Kiffin is in the third row, in front of Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon Duck, and beside Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham and Ohio State defensive back Caleb Downs. Georgia coach Kirby Smart is also featured.
The game releases July 10. A standard cover with different players will also be available.
Kiffin’s appearance reflects Ole Miss’ success during his tenure. Since 2020, he has led the Rebels to three 10-win seasons and five straight bowl games. Ole Miss finished 10-3 in 2024, capped by a 52-20 Gator Bowl win over Duke.
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