JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Lane Kiffin, the head coach of Mississippi, publicly criticized the current framework of college football, labeling it as “a dumb system.” This time, his remarks were not directed towards the playoff selection procedures, but rather at the chaotic calendar that complicates the preparation for bowl games. Kiffin’s frustrations arose after several coaches had to navigate the rigors of national signing day while gearing up for crucial conference championship games.
“We just try to make the best of the situations,” Kiffin expressed during a conference call for coaches participating in the Gator Bowl. “It really is a dumb system.”
Kiffin’s criticism follows the announcement from first-year Duke coach Manny Diaz, who confirmed that quarterback Maalik Murphy has entered the transfer portal. This situation leaves Duke with either Henry Belin or Grayson Loftis to lead the team in their upcoming bowl game on January 2 in Jacksonville.
Kiffin remarked on the situation, saying, “Just think about what we’re talking about. The season’s not over yet, and there’s a free-agency window open.” He drew a comparison to the NFL, remarking on how strange it would be for teams gearing up for playoffs to have players already exploring free agency. “It’s a really poor system, but we just try to manage the best we can through it, and hopefully someday it’ll get fixed,” he added.
Kiffin also confirmed that senior quarterback Jaxson Dart plans to participate in the Gator Bowl. Meanwhile, the 16th-ranked Rebels (9-3) might see other key players choosing to opt-out of the game.
The Blue Devils (9-3) finished the regular season on a high note, achieving three straight victories, all of which came following Diaz’s remarks to his players about enhancing their postseason destination through success. Unfortunately, they will face the upcoming game without Murphy, who transferred to Duke after his first year at Texas. During his time at Duke, he recorded impressive stats, completing 60% of passes for 2,933 yards, along with 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, effectively leading the team to its best regular-season performance since 2014.
Diaz addressed the change, stating, “From our standpoint, we adjust. This is the new normal.” He indicated that recruitment efforts have shifted as they are not on the road courting future recruits like they did previously when commitments were made during December signing days.
“The fact we’ve already had a signing day takes one of the distressers out of December,” Diaz pointed out. “However, as the landscape changes, we adapt to it. That’s what football coaches do; we’re problem-solvers and we adjust.”