Paul Finebaum and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin didn’t hold back after a rough start to the College Football Playoff.
The opening round — at least the start — was marred by lopsided games, with Notre Dame dominating Indiana and Penn State running away with a massive 28-0 halftime lead over SMU. Both matchups left fans wondering how these teams made the cut, and Finebaum had something to say about it.
“So far, the CFP selection committee has given us some blockbusters,” Finebaum sarcastically wrote on X. “Notre Dame led late over Indiana 27-3, and Penn State just went up on the committee’s final team 28-0 at the half. Take a bow.”
So far, the CFP selection committee has given us some blockbusters. Notre Dame led late over Indiana 27-3 and Penn State just went up on the committee’s final team 28-0 at the half. Take a bow.
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) December 21, 2024
The criticism centered on the inclusion of Indiana and SMU, whose strength of schedules paled in comparison to teams left out of the playoff. Indiana’s slate ranked 67th nationally, while SMU’s was 60th—both far below three-loss SEC teams like Alabama and Ole Miss, which boasted schedules in the top 20.
The blowouts reignited debates about how the CFP committee selects its teams. Some, like Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, joined the conversation, taking a jab at the committee’s choices with a sarcastic social media post: “Really exciting competitive game @CFBPlayoff. Great job!!”
Way to keep us on the edge of our seats Committee …. Riveting
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) December 21, 2024
So, the question is this: How many SEC teams being included would satisfy Lane Kiffin and Paul Finebaum? Should all the other conferences be completely removed from the conversation? Should games not even be played?
Some say that the Big Ten and SEC should breakaway from the rest of the leagues. What about Indiana's performance against Notre Dame on Friday night made you believe that the Big Ten really has any depth to it? The SEC says it has depth — and there's undoubtedly talent — but the conference also has teams — especially this year — that are as inconsistent as anyone, Ole Miss and Alabama included.
It's easy to sit at home on your couch and pretend that you know Alabama, Ole Miss, or South Carolina would've put up more of a fight against Penn State — and most likely, they would have. The truth is that we don't know and that's a hypothetical. Should teams be rewarded for winning hypothetical games? Or should they be rewarded for winning actual games on the field of play, even if that comes with a "lesser schedule?"
So, what does the committee need to do moving forward? Well, that's what we are left to find out.