No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels are getting prepped to face Washington State coming off their bye week before they go through two of their toughest tests of the 2025 season: Georgia and Oklahoma.
And somehow, the pressure to enter those two games undefeated has undermined their game against Washington State.
Coach Lane Kiffin took his press conference previewing Week 7 to reiterate how facing Georgia next doesn't change anything about their preparation for the Cougars.
"Those have nothing to do with this. Everybody has tough matchups in this conference. Said it for a while now, and I think you guys are seeing it: This conference is like the NFL," Kiffin said.
After all, it takes just a few miscalculations and quick thinking on the opponents' part to turn any heavily favored game into a massive upset, almost NFL-like, as Kiffin puts it.
"Everybody can beat everybody and everybody can lose to everybody in this conference. You’re seeing it by what’s going on every week. It’s a battle. It’s just different than every other conference. Just like the NFL, you’ve got to play really well every week."
For Kiffin, facing the 3-2 Cougars is not much different from facing Georgia. They just have to be their best whenever entering the gridiron.
"Our system, different than the NFL. Everything comes down to these wins and losses and getting into these playoffs at that threshold of whatever it is, 10 wins. Got to be ready to play every week and almost survive and advance in a way in this conference."
"We’ll worry about [Georgia and Oklahoma] later on. This week is a great challenge for us to play these guys and come back after a bye and improve."
Kiffin's response is a clear indication of how Ole Miss being the heavy odds-on favorites has not affected how they treat this game.
A mentality like that is a core of improvement Kiffin has made in his current roster. And it is the same mindset that wins games.
At the pace they're going, the Rebels are already looking like a solid college football playoff contender.