All eyes swing toward Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin as he’s swimming in head-coaching rumors while also steering the Rebels straight into the CFP entering the Egg Bowl. Despite that, Oregon jumped ahead of Ole Miss following its 42-27 win against USC in the new CFP ranking. But the real headline didn’t come from the bracket at all; it came from CFP committee chair Hunter Yurachek.

If Kiffin bolts, likely to LSU or Florida, that could hit Ole Miss’s ranking, according to On3’s Chris Low. Now, when ESPN’s Rece Davis brought it up during the CFP rankings reveal, Yurachek chimed in. But before he got to the serious stuff, he dropped a “6–7” joke, poking fun at Ole Miss sitting at No. 7 right behind No. 6 Oregon. That awkward quip suddenly had Yurachek facing internet backlash.

“I thought this was AI…it is not,” wrote CBS Sports’ Danny Kanell. “And these are the people deciding the fates of playoff teams with millions of dollars at stake. It is time to get rid of the committee.”

While Ole Miss sits at No. 3 in the SEC with a 10-1 record after a 34-24 win over Florida, the joke didn’t land with many college football experts. The Rebels’ sudden drop, despite back-to-back wins, felt unjustified to them.

That’s when Yurachek clarified that Kiffin’s future wasn’t part of the committee’s decision; instead, Oregon’s rise came down.

“Seriously, we didn’t have any discussion about Ole Miss and their coach,” said Yurachek. “That was all about Oregon and their performance against USC. Their strength of schedule continues to climb. They’ve been dominant on the offense and defensive side of the ball. Really good in special teams. The committee had been waiting for them to have a signature win to really put them where we thought they deserved to be.”

While Oregon delivered its biggest statement of the season in Week 12 against the Trojans, and that impressed the CFP committee, Ole Miss slipped despite being on a bye. However, both the Rebels and Ducks sit at 10 wins. Still, Oregon holds the edge with one extra ranked victory (a 30-24 win against PSU), while the Rebels have three.

With that one factor, overlooking the Rebels’ effort all season, wins over Oklahoma and Tulane, while their only loss came against Georgia, didn’t sit well with CFB analysts and reporters. Perhaps that’s why Yurachek became a public target after his poor Ole Miss joke.

Hunter Yurachek faces wild heat

While the top five in the CFP rankings stayed the same, Ole Miss’s drop, despite no recent loss, shocked many. Some pointed to Lane Kiffin’s swirling exit rumors as the reason. However, the CFP committee chair insisted it had nothing to do with the head coach. Still, his Ole Miss joke didn’t sit well with most.

“The worst part about this answer from CFP chair Hunter Yurachek was that you know he had that one ready to go when asked about Ole Miss potentially not having Lane Kiffin. Don’t act as if this is some joke,” said CFB reporter Trey Wallace. “There’s a lot at stake, including over $50 million to Oxford economy.”

Well, if Ole Miss fires him without cause, Kiffin’s buyout would be $36.6 million. But it’s not just the buyout; there are many factors that would cost the school if Kiffin leaves. At that moment, when the CFP conversation kicked off, joking about Ole Miss put Yurachek in hot water.

“NAUSEATING!!! Not funny, pathetic and a fireable offense,” mentioned CBS Sports’ producer Lucas Frankel, while coach Pimp Sanderson wrote, “I hope Yurachek steps in legos the rest of his life.”

When the CFP committee’s decisions shape a team’s path to the national title, especially in the final week of the regular season, joking about a team is a real embarrassment for the committee.

“We are cooked as a society,” said USC alum Adam Bradford.

Though this isn’t new for the CFP committee, they dealt with a similar situation when Brian Kelly left Notre Dame for LSU. But this scenario feels different. How the committee responds this time will be worth watching.