December hasn't been kind to the Ole Miss Rebels so far. Lane Kiffin's club was ranked No. 14 in the final College Football Playoff rankings, leaving them three spots out of the final at-large bid to the 12-team field. Ole Miss landed a decent consolation prize in a trip to the Gator Bowl.
As with so many non-Playoff bowl games now, the matchup will be diminished by transfer portal exits. While Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart will finish up his Ole Miss career with the bowl game, his Duke counterpart, Maalik Murphy, has entered the transfer portal after leading the Blue Devils to a 9–3 record.
Duke coach Manny Diaz confirmed the move during a Gator Bowl conference call, after which Kiffin decried the system, in which the transfer portal opens before the bowl season plays out.
"Think about what we're talking about or what [Diaz] just had to address: a quarterback going in the portal," Kiffin said, per ESPN. "Just think about what we're talking about. The season's not over yet, and there's a free agency window open.
"Just think if the NFL was getting ready for the AFC, NFC playoffs, postseason, and players are in free agency already. 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."
Kiffin has been a regular critic of the state of college football over the last few seasons. The Murphy situation will make his Rebels an even bigger favorite in the Jan. 2 game, but it certainly saps some intrigue from the game. Either Grayson Loftis or Henry Belin IV, both of whom started games in 2023, is expected to be under center for the Blue Devils.
"We just try to make the best of the situations," Kiffin said. "It really is a dumb system."
More of the Latest Around College Football
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lane Kiffin Blasts 'Dumb System' After Bowl Opponent Duke Loses QB to Transfer Portal.
