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Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is surprisingly higher in the SEC pressure rankings than these head coaches.

All college football head coaches are under some pressure. Not reaching the end-of-season goals can result in being sacked or more pressure being heaped on them for the next season. What pressure is Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin facing in 2024?

ByJordan Merritt|
Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze and Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin shake hands after the game as Auburn Tigers take on Mississippi Rebels at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. Mississippi Rebels defeated Auburn Tigers 28-21.
Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze and Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin shake hands after the game as Auburn Tigers take on Mississippi Rebels at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. Mississippi Rebels defeated Auburn Tigers 28-21. | Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

On3 analyst Jesse Simonton has ranked the SEC head coaches in order of who faces the most pressure in 2024. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was ranked No. 8 on that list, which seems higher than expected, especially looking at the coaches ranked below him.

Yes, Lane Kiffin is under pressure to deliver a playoff season for the Rebels, with the work being done via the transfer portal. However, Kiffin is in no way under any pressure to be fired.

Every head coach faces a different type of pressure in a program. Looking at the SEC coaches below Kiffin, I'd argue that several of the pressures they face are much higher than the pressure the Ole Miss head coach faces.

Is Oklahoma's Brent Venables the right guy to take them into the SEC?

One of the biggest questions in the SEC is whether Brent Venables will create a smooth transition into the SEC for Oklahoma. They have been one of the biggest teams in college football for decades, though the last several seasons in the Big 12 Conference have been underwhelming.

We won't know if Venables is the right guy until at least one season in the SEC. However, if the Sooners go 8-4 or 7-5 in 2024, questions will be asked regarding Venables's tenure.

Having Brent Venables ranked above only first-year head coaches Mike Elko and Jeff Lebby seems odd. With the Sooners looking to prove they won't be just a number in the SEC if things don't go right in year 1, expect Venables to be near the top of the pressure rankings for 2025.

Hugh Freeze can't have another below-par season at Auburn

Is there more pressure on Lane Kiffin to make the playoffs than Auburn's Hugh Freeze not to hit an eight-win season? No; with the level that Freeze is recruiting at and the efforts in the transfer portal, the Tigers need to improve from the six wins they saw last season.

Like Brent Venables, Freeze will return in 2025 unless something catastrophic happens during the 2024 season. If Auburn scrapes a bowl game again, Freeze will be at the top of the pressure rankings in 2025.

Lane Kiffin is under pressure to make the playoffs this season. However, if they miss out with 9 or 10 wins, Kiffin will still be under less pressure in 2025, as his counterparts mentioned.

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