Paul Finebaum isn’t buying the number Vegas hung on Ole Miss.
The Rebels are coming off a 13-2 season and their first College Football Playoff appearance in program history, yet their over/under for the upcoming year sits at 7.5. That’s a steep drop for a team that just spent last season beating the Tulane Green Wave and the Georgia Bulldogs before falling to the Miami Hurricanes in the final seconds of the semifinals.
Ole Miss reached that point after a major coaching shakeup, too. Lane Kiffin left for the LSU Tigers’ head coaching job after the regular season, and the school did not let him coach in the playoff. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding was elevated to full-time head coach and guided the Rebels through the postseason run.
The offseason only added to the buzz. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss won his appeal for another season of eligibility, giving Ole Miss one of the top quarterbacks in college football back under center. The Rebels also return running back Kewan Lacy, another one of the best at his position, while Golding brings continuity on defense.
Still, Finebaum thinks the win total is way too low.
"I don't want to argue with Vegas, but that [7.5 win total] is truly absurd," Finebaum said. "If you would have said 9.5, I would have said that's a tough number to pick because I think Ole Miss has a chance to be 10-2... To me, 9-3 looks a lot more realistic than 7-5."
The Rebels haven’t finished with fewer than seven wins since the COVID-shortened 2020 season, which makes the 7.5 line stand out even more. For Golding, the challenge now is obvious: prove last season’s success wasn’t just about Kiffin.
He inherited a strong foundation, but this is his chance to show Ole Miss can keep rolling with him in charge. If Chambliss plays like one of the country’s top quarterbacks and the defense stays sharp, the Rebels should clear the number with room to spare.
If not, the questions will come fast about whether Ole Miss is built for the long haul or whether it was riding the wave of one of college football’s best coaches.
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Lane Kiffins return to the SEC spotlight already had plenty of edge to it, and now the backdrop has gotten even sharper. Ole Miss and LSU are headed toward a meeting that was always going to draw attention, but the story around it has grown beyond the usual rivalry chatter, with the Rebels and Tigers suddenly tied together by more than just the coaching change in Baton Rouge.
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Ole Miss Enters Fall Camp With Key Availability Still In Doubt
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Among the names worth watching is transfer Jordan Renaud, who arrived with a lower-body issue and is still being monitored as the staff waits for clearance. Georgia transfer safety Joenel Aguero also remains a player to keep an eye on after a limited spring, leaving Ole Miss with a few key pieces whose status could shape how quickly the defense settles once camp gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]