Lane Kiffin cries to CFP committee but makes surprising case for Big Ten team

Lane Kiffin has been pleading his case to the College Football Playoff committee since Ole Miss suffered its third loss of the season. The Rebels lost any argument for making the CFP when they lost to Florida. Kentucky and LSU also lost. 

Despite the embarrassing losses, Kiffin still believes the Rebels deserve a 12-team College Football Playoff spot. His most recent argument is that Ole Miss's nine wins combined with its margin of victory give them an advantage over the other three-loss SEC teams.

Kiffin's argument is sound. Ole Miss does have one of the best resumes of the remaining teams excluded from the CFP at this point but they currently sit behind Alabama and likely South Carolina in the eyes of the committee.

While he makes a fair argument, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema joined the conversation, arguing that the fighting Illini should be considered before Ole Miss, given its strength of schedule and quality losses. 

Bielema's case is valid, although it won't hold up with the College Football Playoff committee. It's impossible to reasonably consider every three-loss Power 4 team that "deserves" a spot in the top 12, but it does raise the question of how many SEC teams "deserve" a spot in the CFP.

Tennessee, Georgia, and Texas have all secured their spots in the College Football Playoff, but could the SEC add another team or two after conference championship weekend? Could the Big Ten sneak in another team?

There is still plenty of shuffling that could take place before the Playoff field is set. The only SEC teams that control their own destiny are Georgia and Texas. Everyone else is holding on, hoping to receive a bid to the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.