If No. 7 Ole Miss beats Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Friday to finish its regular season at 11-1, the Rebels are headed to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history as one of the selection committee's seven at-large picks.

They've earned it -- even if that means taking the field for the first round without the coach who helped lead them there.

Don't buy the doomsday scenarios suggesting Lane Kiffin's potential departure to LSU will keep Ole Miss out of the 12-team bracket. While that would be a new "data point," according to committee chair Hunter Yurachek. An 11-win SEC team isn't getting tossed aside.

It would be unfair to penalize the players after a terrific three-month stretch. The reward is a playoff appearance.

"We didn't have any discuss

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