Lane Kiffin walked into Friday’s meeting with Ole Miss brass expecting routine business. What he didn’t expect was the tidal wave forming behind him. A silent, coordinated, big-money surge from one SEC powerhouse ready to drop nearly $90 million to pry him away. When your potential new employer has political muscle counting the commas in your contract, the game has officially changed.

“As Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss met Friday, confidence brewed in Baton Rouge,” Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported on X on November 21. “LSU is finalizing a near $90M+ offer to the coach – blessed by the governor – and $25M+ in annual roster cash in its most serious push to gain his commit, sources tell @YahooSports.”

Decision-makers at LSU are preparing a formal offer that would tie Lane Kiffin for the highest salary in college football, a seven-year, heavily incentivized deal crossing the $90 million threshold. Add in the promised $25+ million in guaranteed NIL spending, and it’s no surprise confidence is rising in Baton Rouge. And the money isn’t just impressive. It directly targets the coach’s biggest priority.

Just 10 days ago, Lane Kiffin told Yahoo Sports that “above-the-cap NIL” is the deciding factor for modern coaches choosing new jobs. Ole Miss already spends around $20 million, top-15 nationally, but LSU’s proposed $25+ million is a different tier altogether. Despite Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s public frustration with huge coaching contracts last month, he has reportedly given full approval to the university’s pursuit. With a new AD in Verge Ausberry leading the charge, LSU is swinging for the fences. But the drama surrounding his decision doesn’t end there. It affects far more than his paycheck because the real twist comes from a corner nobody expected. The College Football Playoff.

Could losing Lane Kiffin cost Ole Miss its playoff spot?

Suppose Lane Kiffin decides to switch jobs in the next two weeks, Ole Miss might face a nightmare scenario of getting snubbed by the CFP committee even as a one-loss contender. 

“If Lane Kiffin leaves Ole Miss in the next couple weeks, could the CFP committee snub the Rebels from the playoff?” Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wolken tweeted on November 19. “According to their protocol, they could. And the Florida State precedent looms large.”

The committee can factor in the loss of a head coach under its official protocol, the same way it evaluates injuries to key players. That’s exactly how undefeated Florida State got bounced in 2023 in favor of Nick Saban’s Alabama after Jordan Travis went down. And right now, the Rebels’ situation fits the criteria almost too perfectly.

CFP rules cite “unavailability of key players and coaches” as grounds to downgrade a team’s postseason value. If Lane Kiffin walks, Ole Miss, currently ranked No. 6, could get treated as a weakened team, regardless of their record. And that makes these next two weeks the most dangerous of the Kiffin era.

CFB analyst Joel Klatt echoed the sentiment, calling the entire situation “the only thing that can derail Ole Miss.” He noted reports of Lane Kiffin’s relatives checking out Baton Rouge and Gainesville properties, twice calling it “not a good look.” The coach is remaining vague but the players know it. The committee knows it. The SEC knows it. And until he signs on the dotted line somewhere, the season hangs by a thread.