Ole Miss is headed for a tumble in the College Football Playoff rankings. The only real mystery is how steep the drop will be.
The Rebels were hammered 42-7 at home by No. 1 Georgia and now sit at 6-3 overall and 4-3 in the SEC. That loss already pushed them down to No. 17 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, and it came right before a trip to Oklahoma on Nov. 14 at 3:15 p.m. on SEC Network.
The CFP rankings haven’t yet absorbed that blowout. That changes Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. on ESPN, when the next poll is released.
Ole Miss entered the first rankings at No. 10 on Nov. 3.
This year matters more than usual because it’s the last season of the 12-team CFP before the bracket expands to 24 teams in 2027. With one spot reserved for a non-Power 4 team, the Rebels’ cleanest path is to land at No. 11 or better in the final rankings.
That’s a tough ask with the schedule left in front of them. Ole Miss still has Oklahoma, Wofford and Mississippi State ahead, and none of those teams are ranked. In other words, the Rebels don’t have a chance to stack a marquee win and change the conversation.
Still, there’s no shortage of outside projections trying to place Ole Miss. Stan Becton’s Nov. 8 projections on NCAA.com put the Rebels at No. 14, just behind Wake Forest. His top 12 has Georgia, Utah, Alabama, Texas, Notre Dame, Miami, Tennessee, UCLA, Indiana, Kentucky, BYU and Texas Tech.
CBS Sports took Ole Miss out of the bracket entirely in Brad Crawford’s Nov. 7 projections, which had the Rebels headed to the Gator Bowl to face Virginia Tech. His projected field featured Georgia, Utah, Miami, Indiana, Notre Dame, Alabama, UCLA, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, BYU and Boise State.
Nicole Auerbach of NBC Sports also left Ole Miss out when she released her CFP rankings predictions on Nov. 8. Her field included Georgia, Utah, Alabama, Indiana, Notre Dame, Texas, UCLA, Miami, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Kentucky and Boise State.
ESPN went a different route and asked 12 college football reporters to forecast the final CFP field. None of them had Ole Miss making it.
In Other News...
Trinidad Chambliss' Turnover Spike Has Ole Miss Fans Asking Why
Trinidad Chambliss has given Ole Miss plenty to like this season, but the turnover column has become impossible to ignore. The Rebels quarterback has already thrown nine interceptions in 2026, a sharp jump from the three he had in 2025, and the ball has come loose in seven of nine games. For a team trying to keep its offense on schedule, that kind of volatility changes the feel of every drive.
Pete Golding has pointed to a mix of forced throws, bad luck and pressure situations as the explanation, which at least gives Ole Miss a few places to look for answers. Still, the most glaring example came in the loss to Texas, when Chambliss threw a career-high three interceptions and left the Rebels searching for cleaner decision-making from their quarterback. The talent is still there, but the margin for error keeps shrinking. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Fans Just Put Vaught-Hemingway Under SEC Scrutiny
Ole Miss lopsided home loss to Georgia was bad enough on its own, ending a run of success at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium that had stretched back to 2024. But the afternoon took on a different kind of sting when some Rebels fans began throwing bottles and debris onto the field, turning frustration in the stands into a problem the program now has to answer for beyond the scoreboard.
The SEC responded with a $250,000 fine and made clear the warning signs are real if it happens again. The conference also said repeat incidents could lead to suspension of alcohol sales at Vaught-Hemingway, a penalty that would hit the game-day atmosphere as much as the athletic departments wallet. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Lands Early In-State Receiver In A Recruitment That Matters
Ole Miss added an early in-state piece to its future receiver board with a commitment from Matthew Fletcher, a 2029 wideout from Clinton, Mississippi. The three-star prospect is already ranked by On3 as the No. 8 player in the state for his class, and his decision gives the Rebels a head start with a local recruit who drew interest beyond Oxford.
Fletchers pledge matters not just because he is from Mississippi, but because he picked Ole Miss over multiple SEC and non-SEC offers. For a program that has long made in-state talent a priority, landing a player this early keeps the Rebels in position to build around familiar territory before the rest of the cycle really takes shape. [Read more 🡒]