Since the final College Football Playoffs The rankings were published last month, Lane Kiffin didn’t hide his displeasure about it Ole Miss’ Absence. Following Thursday Gator Bowl win dukehe had another message for the selection committee.

As Ole Miss completed its 52-20 victory over Duke, Kiffin blasted the committee, saying the omission had fired up the Rebels. He saw a team that wanted to send a message, and he thought the rebels had done just that.

Get your team’s official College Football Playoff watch from AXIA by CLICKING HERE: “Clocks that tell so much more than just the time”

Ole Miss came into the game as the No. 14 team final CFP rankings. This made the Rebels one of the first teams out of the 12-team group.

“I’m pleased with how our guys played today,” Kiffin told ESPN Taylor McGregor. “The quarterback played really well and so did the defense. They made a statement to a committee that left them out: “Hey, here’s an ACC team that won nine games,” and came out and played extremely well. I think it was really important for her to come out and make a statement like that.”

Ole Miss dominated Thursday’s game in every way. The Rebels totaled 589 yards of offense – led by 404 yards and four touchdowns Jaxson Dart – and held Duke to seven points until the final four minutes of the game.

For Dart, it was the right ending after a successful stint at Ole Miss. He becomes the NFL Draft this year as the program’s all-time leading passer after transferring from USCand his bond with his coach is evident.

But Kiffin joked that after some eligibility changes from the NCAA, a waiver might be possible. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia Notably, he will receive an additional year following his lawsuit, which resulted in a blanket waiver for all JUCO products who played this season and are eligible to play in 2025.

“I love him except for the last play there where he checks into a pass he shouldn’t be making, so he needs to learn some class there,” Kiffin joked. “But other than that, I love this guy. He’s great. You never know. Nowadays people file waivers. Maybe he’ll come back next year.”

With the win, Ole Miss secured its third 10-win season in four years. Although it hasn’t been a perfect journey over the past two seasons, Lane Kiffin has gotten the program going and he credited the players for rising to the challenge.

“They came together,” Kiffin said. “They played really well. They are really nice players. They’ve won 21 games in the last two years and we blew a few of them this year. But I’m really proud of them and the way they played tonight against a really good team. I think that was the best defense in the ACC.”