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Yurachek: CFP committee did not discuss Lane Kiffin when voting on Ole Miss in latest rankings

11by: Jake Thompson2 hours agoJakeThompsonOn3

There is still one regular season game to go for Ole Miss but there is already the discussion brewing on if a Lane Kiffin-less team would get dinged when it comes to its College Football Playoff standing.

According to Hunter Yurachek, the new CFP Selection Committee chairman, that may not be as major a factor as feared by Rebel fans.

In Tuesday’s latest CFP Top 25 rankings Ole Miss (10-1) dropped a spot to No. 7 with Oregon jumping the Rebels to No. 6 after its win over Southern California on Saturday. Ole Miss had its final open date of the season.

ESPN’s Rece Davis asked Yuracheck during the rankings show if that had more to do with the Ducks win or the potential for Kiffin to not be with Ole Miss come late December.

“We didn’t have any discussion about Ole Miss and their coach,” Yurachek said. “That was all about Oregon and their performance against USC. Their strength of schedule continues to climb. They’ve been dominant on the offense and defensive side of the ball. Really good on special teams and the committee has been waiting for them to have a signature win to really put them where we thought they deserved to be.”

Davis further pressed Yurachek about the potential scenario of Kiffin no longer being the head coach at Ole Miss and what factors that could play in the selection process come December 7. The selection criteria does include the availability of players and coaches for teams when the committee discusses those teams.

“It is in the protocol but I’m not sure we will have a data point to use that as part of the protocol,” Yurachek said. “We would not have seen the team play without a coach.”

By Yurachek’s answer it seems if Kiffin departing may not play as big a role in Ole Miss’ CFP fate if he is no longer the coach past Friday’s Egg Bowl. At least in the eyes of the committee.

Florida State lost starting quarterback Jordan Travis to an injury in 2023 leading to the Seminoles to miss out on the CFP despite going undefeated.

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