Clemson was the final team to make the CFP last year after winning the ACC to earn an auto bid. Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin hopes this process changes soon.

Ole Miss had playoff hopes last year but missed the field at 9-3 (5-3 SEC) after inopportune losses to Kentucky and Florida and played in the Gator Bowl. For comparison’s sake, Ole Miss had a better strength of record (No. 13 vs. No. 25) but Clemson had a better strength of schedule (No. 28 vs. No. 39) in 2024, per ESPN.

One of those coaches that caught some attention was LSU's Brian Kelly. He was asked about the elephant in the room, the SEC's involvement in changes to the College Football Playoff format as the conference pushes to guarantee itself as many bids as possible in the expanded 16-team field.