Even with everything going sideways for the Rebels at the beginning of the offseason, Pete Golding's squad looks still promising enough to live upto the reputation they built in the 2025 season.
After a historic CFP run, the bar is set nowhere lower than the SEC title for the Rebels in 2026. But winning the SEC title in this era means taking down one particular team: Georgia.
Ole Miss floated as the next possible SEC Champions
Georgia's Kirby Smart has built an undisputable reputation in the SEC, the best one there is after Nick Saban.
So much so that winning the SEC title means defeating Georgia.
ESPN's Bill Connelly points out: "The rule: It has to be won by either Kirby Smart (2017, 2022, 2024, 2025) or a coach who has proved he can beat Kirby Smart (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023)."
And as per the analyst, the Rebels are currently looking like one of the countable teams that could actually beat Smart.
Their most-recent win is also against the Bulldogs in CFP quarterfinals Sugar Bowl.
"For now, the Longhorns are ineligible, and the only teams that can win the conference are therefore Way-Too-Early No. 4 Georgia, No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 15 LSU or No. 21 Bama."
Ole Miss fans will soon know what Lane Kiffin would be capable of unlocking at LSU in his first season when they first meet in the regular season in the storied Magnolia Bowl.
The same goes for Alabama. With DeBoer, it is all a guessing game as he is yet to earn that confidence in Tuscaloosa.
The road ahead is looking solid for the Rebels, but they have plenty of internal problems to solve before getting there.
The biggest, and most concerning is the big question mark at starting QB.
There would be much more clarity on what to expect out of the Rebels' 2026 season once the verdict on Chambliss's injunction is out.