Paul Finebaum Exposes Top-Ten Team He Thinks Will Fail To Make The College Football Playoff

The Lane Kiffin era at Ole Miss is heading into its fifth year with arguably its highest expectations. Kiffin is coming off an 11-2 season from last year, and the Rebels rank first in returning production among teams with greater than a 3% chance of winning the championship, according to Vegas betting odds .

That has the Rebels on several preseason top-10 lists, including On3's Andy Staples . Paul Finebaum told the Tulsa World 's Berry Tramel that he doesn't believe the Rebels are a playoff team because he thinks Kiffin's coaching is "underwhelming at times."

"I would say no," Finebaum said. "Everyone in the media, Berry, we're on the older statesman side of it, is in love with Lane Kiffin. They think he's hilarious. I don't think he's that funny. I don't think his tweets are that interesting, and his coaching has been underwhelming at times. I'll believe it when I see it."

Finebaum stated that he has not seen enough from Kiffin and Ole Miss to make him a believer. In Kiffin's four seasons, Ole Miss has had two 10+ win seasons, but neither year were the Rebels in real contention for the SEC championship.

Ole Miss hopes to change that in 2024, fueled by having the top transfer portal class in the country, according to 247Sports . The Rebels have added 24 players to their roster via the portal, including top defensive lineman Walter Nolen. However, Ole Miss lost its top offensive weapon as running back Quinshon Judkins transferred to Ohio State.

If Ole Miss can recover from that loss, it could lead to the Rebel's first College Football Playoff appearance.

Related: Greg McElroy Predicts SEC Team Will Make First College Football Playoff Appearance In 2024