Especially after the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season, the conversation around 9-3 SEC teams started to swell. The question wasn’t whether that noise would show up - it was how many of those teams might actually force their way into the bracket.
After Week 10, though, one thing stands out: Ole Miss should not be in that mix.
The Rebels have the kind of résumé that gets people talking, with wins over LSU and Missouri. But those victories don’t wipe away the rest of the picture, especially not after a 42-7 loss in November against the toughest opponent they’ve faced.
That’s where the argument gets messy for the SEC crowd, because the usual response always comes back to strength of schedule. And yes, SOS matters in the CFP race.
It absolutely should. That’s part of why Ole Miss entered last week ranked several spots ahead of one-loss Texas Tech and Wake Forest.
But strength of schedule is not a free pass to ignore ugly losses.
One bad loss can be softened if the rest of the profile is strong enough. Multiple losses, especially when they come in rough fashion, are harder to excuse.
Ole Miss has a blowout loss to 5-4 Florida, a loss to Texas, and another blowout loss, this time at home and much later in the season. That’s a lot to overlook, even with those wins over LSU and Missouri.
And those wins haven’t exactly been enough to move the needle for other teams beating three-loss opponents, either.
The Rebels still have Oklahoma, Wofford, and a losing Mississippi State team left on the schedule, and Mississippi State is doing it without star quarterback Kamario Taylor. But even if Ole Miss handles those games, the damage from the earlier collapses doesn’t just disappear.
The team now carries what looks like an unremovable stain, one that feels a lot like what hung over 2025 Texas and 2024 Alabama. That stain kept those teams out of the playoff field, and after what happened against Georgia, Ole Miss fans should be ready for the same outcome.
In Other News...
Mizzou Got The Bounce-Back It Needed But A Bigger Worry Emerged
Missouri got the kind of response it needed after a rough stretch, rolling past Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 96-58 behind a breakout night from freshman Jason Crowe Jr. Crowe poured in a career-best 34 points and set a single-game freshman scoring record for the program, while Toni Bryant added 18 points and six rebounds as the Tigers shot 12-for-23 from three-point range and turned defense into offense by forcing 14 turnovers.
The bigger concern came much earlier than the final buzzer, when star forward Mark Mitchell left with a face injury and did not return. Missouri had plenty to like in the win, especially the way its young guards and wings helped carry the scoring load, but Mitchells status is the part that will matter most as the Tigers move into the next stretch of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Missouri Suddenly Has A Mark Mitchell Concern Before Marquette
Missouris win over Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville was the kind of early-season result that can still tell you something about a teams depth, even in a lopsided game. Jason Crowe Jr. stole the spotlight with a team-high 34 points and a freshman scoring record, while coach Dennis Gates mixed in multiple defensive looks and got useful minutes from Toni Bryant and Trent Burns.
The bigger concern came when Mark Mitchell left early because of a facial injury, and his status now becomes part of the buildup to the next test against Marquette. Missouri has enough momentum from the blowout to feel good about where it is, but Mitchells availability matters because the Tigers are already heading into a matchup that will demand more than just scoring punch. [Read more 🡒]
Jason Crowe Answered Mizzou's Setback As A New Concern Emerged
Missouri got the bounce-back it needed at home, rolling past Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 96-58 after taking its first loss of the season. The response came with freshman Jason Crowe Jr. delivering a record-setting performance, pouring in 34 points for a Mizzou freshman while doing it with efficient shooting and giving the Tigers the kind of offensive lift they were looking for.
Mark Mitchells night, though, ended much earlier than Missouri would have liked. The fifth-year forward left with a facial injury and did not return, turning a comfortable win into a reminder that the Tigers may have a new concern to monitor as they move forward from the setback they just answered. [Read more 🡒]