The college football season has been pretty kind to Ole Miss as the Rebels are 8-1 with only a loss to the Georgia Bulldogs under their belt. The Rebels still have a real chance at competing for the SEC Championship and securing one of those automatic bids into the College Football Playoff, but even if they can't, they should still be safe.
There has been a lot of talk of Kiffin leaving for another job after this season, but right now his focus is on this team and this season.
The Rebels just missed the playoffs last season with three losses, but with only one loss right now and the rest of the schedule looking very winnable, Kiffin and his Rebels could get exactly what they want. Ole Miss only has The Citadel, Florida, and Mississippi State left on the schedule, giving them a real chance to make the playoff, finishing with just one loss.
The College Football Playoff selection committee is releasing its first rankings this season on Tuesday, November 4, and the Rebels should have a favorable ranking.
So, with the rankings coming out soon, here is a prediction of how the College Football Playoff will shake out at the end of the season.
Team | Ranking | Why are they here? |
|---|---|---|
Ohio State Buckeyes | 1 | Big Ten Champion |
Texas A&M Aggies | 2 | SEC Champion |
Texas Tech Red Raiders | 3 | Big 12 Champion |
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | 4 | ACC Champion |
Indiana Hoosiers | 5 | At-large |
Alabama Crimson Tide | 6 | At-large |
Ole Miss Rebels | 7 | At-large |
Oregon Ducks | 8 | At-large |
BYU Cougars | 9 | At-large |
Georgia Bulldogs | 10 | At-large |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 11 | At-large |
Memphis Tigers | 12 | Group of Five Champion |
Ole Miss sits at a pretty good spot as the third-highest-ranked at-large bid behind Indiana, fellow SEC school Alabama. The Crimson Tide is just ahead of the Rebels based on their only loss coming in the first game of the season. Granted, they lost to a worse team, but Alabama is still undefeated in the SEC, and Ole Miss lost to Georgia.
The Rebels in the middle of the pack, though, could still have a favorable road to the National Championship with a 7-seed ranking. They get a home game in what would be a rematch against the Bulldogs if this prediction were to come true.
Kiffin would probably love to have that game back against Georgia and could get his revenge in the playoff. Ole Miss is in a good spot heading into the postseason, but not having a spot in the SEC Championship could be beneficial, as it is just another bye week to get ready for the playoff.