Rece Davis still isn’t backing off Ole Miss.
As the 2026 college football regular season moves past the halfway point and the first College Football Playoff rankings draw closer, the field is starting to sort itself out. Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, Texas and Ohio State have taken up most of the oxygen so far, but Ole Miss has stayed right there in the mix.
The No. 7 Rebels already own wins over LSU, Missouri and Louisville, and they’ve continued to sit near the top of the national picture.
That’s not changed for Davis, even after Ole Miss took a hit with its upset loss to Florida earlier this season. The ESPN analyst joined the Pat McAfee show on Wednesday and laid out why he still sees Pete Golding’s team as a real threat.
“I think that a lot of us were sort of shaken by the Florida performance,” Davis said. “… I thought that it was a really good response for them against Missouri… I think that you still look at Ole Miss as a contender, and based on the way that things are unfolding in the SEC, I think that you can make a pretty good argument that they are probably the second-best team in the SEC behind Georgia at the moment.”
"[Ole Miss] is probably the 2nd best team in the SEC behind Georgia." @ReceDavis breaks down Ole Miss' performance and what the team needs to do against Texas ✍️
(via @PatMcAfeeShow)
- ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 21, 2026
For now, Ole Miss remains in the conversation for both the SEC and the national title race. The Rebels have their flaws, but Trinidad Chambliss gives them a shot in any matchup.
They’ll get another test of that this Saturday in Austin, where they face a Texas team badly needing a win.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Has A Real Opening Against Texas If One Unit Holds Up
Ole Miss comes into this week riding the lift of a strong win and looking at a Texas team that suddenly has real urgency attached to it. The Longhorns have dropped two straight, and the Rebels know they are getting a defense that still carries a strong reputation overall, even if the matchup has changed a bit with a key piece now unavailable on the edge.
Colin Simmons being out with a high ankle sprain matters because it can alter how much pressure Texas gets on Trinidad Chambliss, and that is where this game could tilt if Ole Miss protects well enough. Kewan Lacy has battled injuries but remains an important part of the Rebels' offense, and if he gives them a steady presence, Ole Miss has a path to make this more uncomfortable for Texas than the rankings would suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Gets Rare Vote Of Confidence In Massive Texas Test
Ole Miss is heading into one of its biggest measuring-stick games of the season with an unusual bit of outside optimism attached. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy picked the Rebels to beat Texas, pointing to a Longhorns offensive line that has struggled and the possibility that edge rusher Colin Simmons could be limited by injury, while also noting Ole Miss has the kind of offensive line play that can help it handle a physical road test.
The quarterback situation adds another layer to a matchup already thick with stakes. Steve Sarkisian has hinted at a possible change behind center but still expects Arch Manning to start, and McElroy also pointed out that Texas still brings real defensive strength to the table. For Ole Miss, the challenge is clear: take advantage of the openings that have shown up for Texas while surviving the stretches where the Longhorns can still make life difficult. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Gets A Stark Warning Before Playoff-Shaping Texas Test
The buildup to Ole Miss-Texas has only sharpened as the stakes have climbed for both playoff races. Pete Golding has spent the week pointing to what makes Steve Sarkisians team such a difficult matchup, and he made clear the Rebels are preparing for a Texas offense that still has plenty of high-end talent even if the results have not always matched the billing.
Arch Manning is at the center of that conversation, with Golding praising the quarterbacks ability despite recent struggles. There is also a personnel wrinkle worth watching in the Longhorns backfield, where Hollywood Smothers is questionable and Raleek Brown would be expected to carry more of the load if Smothers cannot go, adding another layer of uncertainty to a game both teams badly need. [Read more 🡒]