In an interview with ESPN’s Heather Dinich, the Ole Miss head coach questioned whether conference champions like Clemson deserve automatic spots in the expanded College Football Playoff. Kiffin claimed another coach told him they’d rather see Clemson on their schedule every week than face SEC teams week in and week out.

The Tigers (10-4) made the 12-team CFP last year as the ACC's automatic bid after beating SMU in the league championship game in Charlotte. Clemson was the lowest seed in the field (No. 12) and lost a first-round game at No. 5 Texas.

OXFORD — Ole Miss football's 2026 recruiting class is forming. The Rebels are coming off a 10-3 season in 2024. Coach Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss had eight players from the 2024 team picked in the NFL Draft. The 2026 recruiting class will attempt to reinfuse the program with talent.