Kiffin adjusting to lack of spotlight

BOCA RATON — For most of his collegiate coaching career, this time of year coach would be paying close attention to playoff scenarios.

Now at FAU, the focus is solely on his team and Kiffin says he couldn’t be happier. The release of the latest College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday night didn’t register a blip.

“It’s pretty much just FAU,” Kiffin said. “Even when I was [at other schools], the playoff stuff didn’t mean anything. That’s for the fans. All that stuff about the fans waiting to watch the show every weekA, `re we No. 2 or No. 3?’ It doesn’t matter.”

When he was an assistant at USC and Alabama’s offensive coordinator, the teams were generally in competition for the national championship. Even then, he said too much was made about the rankings.

“You’ve got to keep playing,” Kiffin said. “You’ve just got to get in the top four. It’s not like you’re getting home-field advantage or something like that. I never paid much attention to it.”

The Owls are putting more emphasis on if they finish in the final Top 25 poll. The feat has never been accomplished in FAU history.

“I think it’s where you finish,” Kiffin said. “If you finish [ranked], that’s a big deal . ... ”

FAU vs. Florida International, Saturday, 7 p.m., ESPN3, WTCN

Next game: Lane Kiffin