Dick Vitale calls out Lane Kiffin for criticism of Indiana, SMU in College Football Playoff

After rough showings from Indiana and SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff, the criticism has been rolling in. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is one of the most vocal, and ESPN personality Dick Vitale called him out.

Kiffin posted on social media multiple times about the CFP committee’s decision to put Indiana and SMU in the 12-team field. The Hoosiers fell to Notre Dame 27-17 on Friday – a game they trailed 27-3 until the final two minutes – and the Mustangs struggled mightily in a 38-10 loss to Penn State on Saturday.

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Kiffin received plenty of pushback as he voiced his displeasure, including from FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt. Vitale became the latest Saturday afternoon.

Ok the critics of the selection of @IndianaFootball & @SMUFB get over your school not being selected. Wow Lane Kiffin I thought u were better than mocking out Hoosiers for having a tough time. Did ur Ole Miss ever have a bad game ?Look at film of your Kentucky & Florida games.

— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) December 21, 2024

“Ok the critics of the selection of @IndianaFootball & @SMUFB get over your school not being selected,” Vitale wrote. “Wow Lane Kiffin I thought u were better than mocking out Hoosiers for having a tough time. Did ur Ole Miss ever have a bad game? Look at film of your Kentucky & Florida games.”

Ole Miss was one of a slew of three-loss SEC teams to miss out on the field while SMU and Indiana made the 12-team bracket. One of Kiffin’s biggest arguments came through strength of schedule. The Rebels’ schedule ranks No. 33 in the country as of Saturday afternoon, according to ESPN’s FPI, which is just behind Indiana. Before the Notre Dame game, though, the Hoosiers had the No. 67-ranked schedule.

One of the big knocks against Ole Miss’ resume, though, is the loss to 4-8 Kentucky that Vitale pointed out. The Rebels also fell to Florida on the road toward the end of the season.

Kiffin called out the selection committee Friday night as Notre Dame put the finishing touches on its win over Indiana. Mid-way through SMU’s blowout loss to Penn State, he again offered a message for the CFP.

“Way to keep us on the edge of our seats Committee,” Kiffin wrote on X (formerly Twitter) Saturday afternoon. “Riveting.”

That led to a strong response from Klatt. He blasted Kiffin’s social media habits compared to his ability to coach his team to the postseason.

“If your team played half as well as you tweet you would likely be in,” Klatt responded while quoting Kiffin’s post.