Ole Miss Climbs to No. 6 in CFP Rankings Despite Lane Kiffin’s Departure - And They’re Still Very Much in the Hunt
Ole Miss football just took another step toward history - and they did it under some serious turbulence.
Despite the bombshell of Lane Kiffin leaving for LSU, the Rebels climbed to No. 6 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings released on Dec. 2.
That’s up one spot from last week’s No. 7.
And if that ranking holds, Ole Miss would make its first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff. Let that sink in: a program with a rich history, but no CFP appearances to date, is now just a few weeks away from crashing the party.
The Rebels are coming off a hard-fought Egg Bowl win, a rivalry game that always carries weight - but this year, it came with even more on the line. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding has stepped in as interim head coach following Kiffin’s exit, and so far, the transition hasn’t derailed the team’s momentum.
There was legitimate concern that the CFP committee might penalize Ole Miss for the coaching turnover. But the Rebels got some welcome stability on Dec. 2 when it was announced that offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. will remain with the team through the playoff.
He’ll reunite with Kiffin at LSU afterward, but for now, he’s sticking around to help see this season through. That’s a big deal - Weis Jr. has been a key piece of an offense that’s helped Ole Miss rack up 11 wins this season.
Who Would Ole Miss Play?
If the current rankings hold, Ole Miss would host Virginia in the first round of the expanded 12-team CFP. That game would be played in Oxford, giving the Rebels a true home-field advantage in what would be one of the biggest games in program history.
And if they get past Virginia? A heavyweight clash with No.
3 Georgia awaits in the quarterfinals. That’s a tall order, but this Ole Miss squad has already shown it can handle adversity - and now they have a shot to prove it on the national stage.
Full CFP Bracket (As of Dec. 2)
Here’s how the full 12-team bracket shakes out under the new 2025 format:
First Round (Dec. 19-20):
- (12) No. 5-ranked conference champion at (5) Oregon
- (9) Alabama at (8) Oklahoma
- (10) Notre Dame at (7) Texas A&M
- (11) No. 4-ranked conference champion at (6) Ole Miss
Quarterfinals (Dec. 31 - Jan. 1):
- Winner of 12 vs. 5 faces (4) Texas Tech
- Winner of 9 vs. 8 faces (1) Ohio State
- Winner of 11 vs. 6 faces (3) Georgia
- Winner of 10 vs. 7 faces (2) Indiana
What’s New in the 2025 CFP Format?
The 2025 season brought a major shakeup to the playoff structure. The top four overall teams now receive automatic byes - a change from 2024, when the byes were reserved for the top four conference champions.
This year’s 12-team field still includes the five highest-ranked conference champions, plus the next seven highest-ranked teams. First-round games are played on campus sites, with seeds 5 through 8 hosting.
So yes, Oxford is in for a treat if things stand pat. A home playoff game, a shot at Georgia, and a chance to do something no Ole Miss team has ever done - compete for a national title in the College Football Playoff.
The Kiffin era may be over, but the story of this Ole Miss team is far from finished.