Should Lane Kiffin be allowed to coach Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff?

It's time to address the elephant in the room in the SEC. No, not Alabama going to yet another conference title game after looking questionable all year. Let's talk about a gentleman named Lane Kiffin. The head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels has been the subject of much speculation for weeks over whether he will remain loyal to the program he single-handedly returned to glory, or will he chase the mountains of cash emerging from the bayous of Baton Rouge and LSU.

As of Saturday night, Kiffin hadn't yet made his decision but reports indicated the 50-year-old was leaning toward the Tigers.

Lane Kiffin has earned his last dance as Ole Miss head coach

Assuming he does depart Oxford for Louisiana, that leaves an awkward dilemma for the Rebels who will be competing in their first-ever College Football Playoff. Does Kiffin get to remain at his post through the postseason or should the athletic department send him packing for his treachery?

It's understandable that Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter would feel uncomfortable allowing Kiffin to continue walking his program's sideline after taking a job with a direct rival. The fans have every right to feel betrayed. But it would be prudent to understand the reality of the situation: College football is a business now, and Kiffin has more than earned his keep.

With the team's 38-19 Egg Bowl victory over Mississippi State on Friday, Ole Miss recorded its first 11-win regular season in school history. Let that sink in. Ole Miss had never won 11 games in a single regular season until Kiffin arrived.

While he never delivered an SEC title, Kiffin has the program at its peak and could threaten to go deeper than just the first round of the CFP. Why would Carter want to risk breaking the Rebels' momentum by ousting the man that led them to this position?

There's no reason other than pettiness to kick Kiffin out prematurely

It would be extremely petty to kick Kiffin to the curb for making a business decision — and likely one that he couldn't postpone until after the postseason — especially when players who hit the transfer portal before bowl games have to make that same decision for their respective careers.

Granted, this whole decision spectacle has become a huge distraction off the field, but the Rebels proved they could play through it on Friday. Even if Kiffin breaks hearts in Oxford, he should get his swan song and a chance to prove it's not personal by giving his all to win at least one playoff game and make a respectable charge at the national title.

Give Kiffin his last dance in Oxford. The Rebels are likely to host a playoff game on campus and even if they lose it would be the exact send-off Kiffin deserves — riding off into the sunset to ignite a brand new SEC rivalry.