They squandered a great opportunity.
Paul Finebaum Names College Football Playoff Contender That 'Blew it' in 2024 originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Last season had the potential to be a special one for several programs in the sport. However, each of them fell short of achieving that.
The Ole Miss Rebels entered last season with high expectations. They finished with a record of 10-3 but narrowly missed qualifying for the College Football Playoff. This achievement marked the third season in the last four years in which the team won 10 or more games.
The Rebels were guided by head coach Lane Kiffin and quarterback Jaxson Dart, who had an impressive season, throwing for 4,279 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and only six interceptions, while completing 69.3% of his passes. Dart's exceptional performance earned him a first-round selection by the New York Giants in the 2025 NFL Draft.
On "The Paul Finebaum Show," the SEC Network analyst stated that he believes Kiffin missed a significant opportunity.
"They were a sure-fire team," Finebaum said. "When you have Dart as your quarterback. You have all of the pieces that they had; they frankly blew it, not getting to the CFP."
Finebaum has been vocal about how disappointed he was in last season for Ole Miss. Just after the Rebels' season ended, he said, "I really worry about the long-term future of Kiffin at Ole Miss after this season. Here comes the equivocation; he's a good coach, but how do you miss with that talent?"
However, Kiffin has an impressive record of 44-18 over his five seasons in Oxford. He has achieved three seasons with ten or more wins, making him one of only two coaches, along with John Vaught, to reach this milestone. The 2023 season, which concluded with an 11-2 record, marks the program's highest number of wins in its history.
Kiffin is ranked third all-time in the program's history, and his winning percentage of 71% is the second highest, just behind Vaught, who achieved a 74.5% win percentage from 1947 to 1973.
Finebaum believes he may have missed a crucial chance to secure Ole Miss its first playoff appearance and second national championship in the program's history.
Related: Paul Finebaum Names SEC Team With a 'Real Shot' of Making the Playoffs for the First Time
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
