SEC Network host Paul Finebaum put Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin on Notice on Monday during an interview with “McElroy and Cubelic” on WJOX.
Finebaum was asked by “McElroy and Cubelic” co-host Cole Cubelic how the 2024 season will be viewed for Kiffin if the Rebels don’t reach the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
“It’ll be a failure,” said Finebaum. “This is what he (Kiffin) has been building towards, this is what he has been talking about. A couple of years ago, things did not look great from an NIL standpoint. He was able to reverse that. He aced the portal — everyone knows what he got this year. He’s got one of the more experienced quarterbacks in the league and around the country.”
“So I’m not sugar coating it — it would be a complete and total failure if Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss don’t make the playoffs,” added Finebaum.
That’s a pretty strong declaration from Finebaum. And I’m not sure it’s totally fair.
Sure, Ole Miss has the talent to reach the 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024. And that’s obviously what the Rebels are aiming for this fall.
But there are plenty of factors — many of which are out of Kiffin’s control — that could prevent Ole Miss (or any program that has playoff aspirations) from reaching the playoff. Injuries, of course, are the biggest potential factor that could derail Ole Miss’ playoff hopes.
A couple of bad calls late in a game or a key player not properly executing in the fourth quarter are also things that could wipe out the Rebels’ chances of reaching the playoff.
It’s not fair to suggest in June that not reaching the playoff would be a “total failure” by Kiffin and the Rebels. Context is key. And we won’t have any context to judge Ole Miss by until late in the 2024 season.
Failing to reach the playoff would certainly be a disappointment for the Rebels. But calling the season a failure? There’s no way we can make that statement before a game has even been played.