The battle to keep Lane Kiffin in Oxford is over. On Sunday, the coach announced his departure for Baton Rouge to become the next head coach of the LSU Tigers, following a historic 11-1 campaign with the Ole Miss Rebels.
According to the PFSN College Football Playoff Meter, the No. 7 Rebels have a 100% chance of being included in the showcase event. However, questions linger about whether the College Football Playoff Committee will ding them after Kiffin’s exit.
Why Does Eli Manning Believe Ole Miss Belongs in the Playoff?
During a Tuesday segment on “SiriusXM,” Ole Miss alum and NFL legend Eli Manning made the case for the Rebels to be included in the College Football Playoffs despite the coaching change.
“I think they’re very deserving of doing that.” @EliManning believes @OleMissFB should still get to host a home playoff game despite Lane Kiffin leaving for LSU.
📻 https://t.co/2rqLCIrlMB#HottyToddy | #CFBPlayoff | @SXMCollege pic.twitter.com/x9LfdE76DI
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) December 2, 2025
“What a special season and hopefully that gets to continue,” Manning said. “They should be rewarded. We obviously have the College Football Playoff coming up. They’ll be figuring out who’s gonna make it. You’ll be hoping just ’cause Lane leaves and goes to LSU, it doesn’t affect these players.”
Manning emphasized that the players, not the coach, drove the team’s success down the stretch.
“These guys that were out there making plays. I don’t even know if Lane was in one meeting before they played Mississippi State. His mind was set up, he was going to LSU. It shows that these players can go out and play. Pete Golding’s done a great job and he’s gonna lead those guys. Hopefully that’s the case and Ole Miss can make it into the playoff.”
Manning starred for the Rebels between 1999 and 2003, setting several SEC records, including 81 touchdowns (No. 3) and 10,119 passing yards (No. 5). He was selected No. 1 overall in the 2004 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers before being traded to the New York Giants.
How Will the Committee Handle Lane Kiffin’s Departure?
During Monday’s segment of the “Get Up” show, analyst Josh Pate revealed that the College Football Playoff Committee would take Kiffin’s move into account when assessing the Rebels’ position in the 12-team field.
“And if coaches, in this case, plural, leave, we’re allowed to sort of reassess your resume,” Pate said. “Forget about the 12 games you played on the field. So, forget about the players and all that. We’re going to let 12 people sitting in a committee room in Grapevine, Texas, decide how much the departing people are worth.”
The situation became more complicated following Kiffin’s official announcement. In a tweet posted on X regarding his departure for LSU, Kiffin revealed that he had wanted to stay at Ole Miss to coach the Rebels through the College Football Playoffs, but athletic director Keith Carter denied his request.
