Greg McElroy weighs in on whether CFP selection committee would penalize Ole Miss for a Lane Kiffin departure
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Greg McElroy has seen the rumors swirl in recent weeks about Lane Kiffin leaving Ole Miss for somewhere else, maybe even another SEC locale.
The former Alabama star quarterback is close with SEC circles and now as an ESPN college football analyst and podcast host, he has a unique perspective on the madness that typically develops within the SEC. That’s what has happened with Kiffin, even as he coaches the Rebels to a 10-1 record and a No. 6 spot in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.
Ole Miss is on a bye this week, but that hasn’t stopped the Kiffin saga from churning. His possible departure is mentioned seemingly everywhere, and on Wednesday it was McElroy’s turn to speculate on whether Kiffin leaving Oxford would hurt Ole Miss’s standing — that is, assuming the Rebels do make the Playoff next month.
Would the CFP selection committee dare penalize Ole Miss should Kiffin leave? McElroy tried to answer that delicate question on his Always College Football podcast.
“Yes. I think they could. I think you treat Lane Kiffin’s absence like you treat a quarterback,” McElroy said. “I do think that he does provide an advantage with his acumen, his ability to tweak plays right before the snap. I think that could have an impact on how they are evaluated (by the selection committee).”
McElroy also knows how messy of a situation it would create for the Rebels if Kiffin did leave before the Playoff.
“I think that cooler heads need to prevail in the event that Lane Kiffin decides to leave Ole Miss,” McElroy said. “This is still the best opportunity that Ole Miss has had to go win a championship. Give your team the best chance. The best way you give your team a chance is by allowing Lane Kiffin to be on the sidelines.”
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
