Wild Saturday Reshapes College Football Playoff Race As Lane Kiffin Drama Hangs Over Everything

On one of the biggest weekends in recent college football memory, we are starting to find clarity in the Playoff — even with Lane Kiffin grabbing most of the attention on Saturday.

I would imagine there are still thoughts of despair from Michigan fans after Ohio State ended the streak in Ann Arbor on a snowy afternoon that looked more like a Christmas winter wonderland.

And inside the ACC office? Folks were undoubtedly screaming into their televisions Saturday night when SMU lost to Cal on the road — a result that opens the door for the conference to miss the Playoff entirely. More on that in a bit.

While fans from Ole Miss and LSU waited for a decision from Kiffin — a saga that lasted the entire afternoon — we watched Ohio State, Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Oregon, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt (again), and BYU all take care of business to keep their playoff hopes intact.

And yes, we were still sitting around wondering when smoke would start rising from the pipes in Mississippi, signaling movement on the Ole Miss front. By 8:30 p.m. ET, plenty of fans would’ve happily accepted a statement saying they’d regroup on Sunday.

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But despite all the potential for chaos, there was mostly chalk on college football's final Saturday of the regular season — though LSU did give Oklahoma a scare.

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Would Saturday finally be the day the stars aligned for Ohio State? Buckeyes fans know Michigan weekend is never a guarantee — that four-year Wolverines winning streak proved it.

But this time, it was the Julian Sayin show, with Carnell Tate playing best supporting actor in a 27–9 win.

"I'm happy for our players. I'm happy for the coaches, all the fans who were at the game," Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day said after the game. "The fans even who weren't here — they'll be able to wear that Block O and stand a little prouder. And so that means a lot to me, means a lot to the coaching staff, to the players and my family."

Now, with Indiana defeating Purdue, we are set up for a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup next weekend inside Lucas Oil Stadium for the Big Ten Championship.

Even with both teams already guaranteed playoff spots, there will be enough on the line to give us an intriguing game next Saturday.

SEC: Alabama vs. Georgia

We had to wait a little while to complete the SEC title-game bracket, thanks to Texas defeating Texas A&M on Friday night. The Longhorns’ win clinched Georgia’s return trip to Atlanta — this time for a conference championship.

Who will meet Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium? Alabama, after Ty Simpson helped the Tide earn an Iron Bowl win on the plains. We’ve seen this matchup before, but now it has major CFP implications for Kalen DeBoer’s squad.

Would the Playoff committee keep Alabama in if they lose next weekend — giving them three losses? It probably depends on how badly they lose. I think both should get in if it’s close, but there will be plenty of arguments either way. 

ACC: Duke vs. Virginia

At one point, SMU trailed Cal 24–7, and unfortunately for the ACC, the Ponies couldn’t finish the comeback.

Needing a field goal at the end of regulation, SMU pushed it wide right, sending Duke to the conference title game. This now sets up Duke (7–5) vs. Virginia.

If Duke wins, the ACC could be left out of the CFP entirely, since the committee must take the highest-ranked conference champions. This raises the possibility of both Tulane and James Madison sneaking in if Duke loses.

Big 12: Texas Tech vs. BYU

Texas Tech will face BYU for the conference title. If the Cougars win, the Big 12 might end up with two bids. If BYU loses, the committee faces a very difficult drop-out decision.

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How about the Vanderbilt Commodores? Not only did Diego Pavia earn himself a Heisman invite, but Vandy also kept itself in the CFP conversation with a 45–24 win over Tennessee.

Against all Neyland odds, Vanderbilt proved it should still be in the playoff picture heading into the second-to-last rankings on Tuesday night.

Around college football:

• Texas Tech beat West Virginia
• Oregon beat Washington
• BYU beat UCF
• Miami beat Pittsburgh

The ingredients are here for chaos over the next week.

As of now, the final playoff spot may come down to one of these teams:

• BYU
• Notre Dame
• Miami
• Vanderbilt
• Texas

Good luck to the committee as they sort through that mess. And don’t forget — Notre Dame vs. Miami matters because the Hurricanes won that head-to-head earlier this season. 

Lane Kiffin Chaos This Weekend

Friday in Starkville was insane enough — Kiffin confronting a reporter, then discussing the decision looming over his future after the Egg Bowl.

Then came Saturday, with Kiffin meeting AD Keith Carter at Chancellor Glenn Boyce’s house. It was peak college football weirdness: Kiffin essentially forced Ole Miss into a predicament by wanting to coach the Rebels through the Playoff.

As of Saturday night at 11:30 ET, neither Ole Miss nor Kiffin had announced a decision. There’s a team meeting Sunday morning at 9 a.m. CT. And as of 1:35 a.m. ET, Lane Kiffin had not signed anything.

So yes — another day of madness awaits on the coaching carousel, with Jon Sumrall expected at Florida and Kiffin supposedly heading to LSU.