The Ole Miss football program, currently ranked No. 9, has a possible path to the SEC Championship. However, head coach Lane Kiffin is not particularly hopeful about reaching the conference title game. His concerns aren’t related to the team’s ability to win, but rather the consequences that would follow.
“I’ve talked to other coaches so I’m just going to give you kind of the feeling from some other coaches,” Kiffin said in a press conference. “They don’t want to be in it. The reward to get a bye versus the risk to get knocked out completely, that’s a really big risk.”
For example, Georgia football had an outstanding 2023 season, finishing undefeated. Yet, when they faced Alabama in the SEC Championship, Georgia was knocked out of national championship contention. Despite both teams having just one loss, the outcome didn’t change their playoff fate.
Now that the College Football Playoff has expanded to 12 teams, the likelihood of such a scenario occurring is lower. However, the SEC remains full of playoff-worthy teams. Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss are all strong contenders for the CFP. With all five teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll, it’s possible that one might miss out on the playoff, even if they’re deemed better than some other conference champions.
Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss football could get the short end of the stick in an SEC Championship game
However, the SEC Championship could ultimately decide who earns a playoff spot and who doesn’t. Paul Finebaum appeared on ESPN’s *Get Up* and discussed the dilemma of competing for the conference title, explaining the tough balancing act teams face when aiming for that game.
“SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey told me last week it should be a reward to get to the championship game,” Finebaum said. “The bad news is, it is not. Kirby Smart last year had an undefeated regular season, he went to the championship game, lost to Nick Saban, and got knocked out of the playoffs. So yes, what Lane Kiffin said is correct. You’d rather not go there but the problem is, you don’t have a choice in the matter.”
Finebaum made a valid point. Looking at Georgia football as an example, it underscores a key reason why coaches are wary of reaching the title game. Teams can make the playoff without securing a spot in the conference championship, but it’s much harder to guarantee a playoff berth without that win. Even if they do make it, entering the playoff as an underdog can create significant challenges and potentially hurt their chances.
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