By now, it’s been well established that the College Football Playoff selection committee could factor Lane Kiffin’s departure into its assessment of Ole Miss.
But while most have assumed that means the No. 7 Rebels will potentially receive a lower seed than they otherwise would have had Kiffin stayed, at least one ESPN analyst has floated the possibility that Ole Miss could be left out of the playoff altogether.
Appearing on an episode of SportsCenter on Monday, ESPN betting analyst Joe Fortenbaugh addressed the impact of Kiffin no longer being on the Rebels’ sideline. And after noting the oddsmakers he’s spoken to believe that the head coach’s exit for LSU could affect an Ole Miss betting line by as many as four points, he also shared another insight he’s gleaned.
“There are some other individuals as well who are searching out bets that Ole Miss misses the playoff entirely,” Fortenbaugh said, as Christine Williamson and Dan Orlovsky both reacted with apparent shock. “Sounds crazy as a one-loss team, but what’s the committee going to do in terms of how they view the Rebels moving forward? We saw what they did Florida State a couple of years ago.”
Orlovsky, for his part, offered immediate pushback, adamantly stating that he thinks it would be a mistake to punish Ole Miss’ players for their head coach taking another job. He also dismissed the Florida State comparison, which came in reference to the undefeated Seminoles being left out of the four-team playoff in 2023 after star quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending injury.
“I would be disgusted with the committee if they did that,” Orlovsky said. “We saw Florida State after Jordan Travis got hurt and the team they were going to be without him. We have not and will not see Ole Miss have the opportunity before the College Football Playoff section committee makes their 12 picks. Don’t penalize this group of young men twice.”
The “could the College Football Playoff committee omit Ole Miss now that Lane Kiffin is gone” talking point is here, courtesy of ESPN sports betting analyst Joe Fortenbaugh. pic.twitter.com/TssrCOUIwB
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 1, 2025
It’s worth noting that Fortenbaugh didn’t call for Ole Miss to be left out of the playoff or even say that it’s likely; he was merely relaying what he’s heard from those within the betting industry. And while he didn’t explain it in his analysis, that’s presumably because such odds would offer a sizable payout due to the unlikely nature that the Rebels are snubbed.
But even with that context, it was likely jarring for those in Oxford to even hear such a possibility be mentioned on ESPN airwaves during what’s already been an emotional week. Would it make Ole Miss fans feel better to know the neither DraftKings nor FanDuel are currently even offering odds on the Rebels being left out of the College Football Playoff? Don’t bet on it.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.