Photo: Lane Kiffin Posts HR 'Thank You' Letter as Ole Miss Snubbed from CFP Bracket

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is still grateful to be patrolling the sidelines for the Rebels even though his team was left out of the College Football Playoff.

After Kiffin's squad wasn't selected as part of the new 12-team format on Sunday, he posted an image of the university's HR department congratulating him for his work anniversary on X.

It's been five years since he was hired as the Rebels' head coach in Dec. 2019.

Ole Miss sat at 9-3 entering Sunday's selections, which included a 5-3 mark against SEC opponents. The Rebels registered impressive wins over South Carolina and Georgia, but they also suffered some ugly defeats.

Kiffin's team lost 20-17 to Kentucky on Sept. 28, as the Wildcats finished the year with a 1-7 record against their SEC competition.

The Rebels were also unable to capitalize on their improved trajectory after taking down the Bulldogs on Nov. 9, which put them as the ninth-ranked team in the Week 12 CFP rankings. In the following game, Ole Miss was defeated by a Florida team that owns a 4-4 record in the SEC.

That hasn't stoped Kiffin from campaigning for his team to make the cut, mentioning the Rebels' victory while congratulating Georgia for a win over Texas in Saturday night's SEC Championship game.

While missing out on a playoff spot may sting, Ole Miss will be participating in a bowl game for the fifth straight season since Kiffin took over. He owns a 43-18 record with the Rebels, helping them reach 11 wins during their 2023 campaign.

Ole Miss has remained successful under Kiffin after struggling with former head coach Matt Luke, but the Rebels will have to wait until 2025 to try and compete for a CFP spot once again.