Paul Finebaum isn’t usually in the business of handing out sunny takes, but when he was pressed about the SEC’s pecking order on The Matt Barrie Show, he didn’t hesitate. After Week 7, the longtime SEC voice landed on Ole Miss as the team he likes most in the league right now.
Barrie first asked whether the Rebels belonged in the SEC’s top two, and Finebaum went straight at it.
"Absolutely," said Feinbaum. "I know I've given way too many Polly Positive answers here for the quota.
But if you ask me, 'In the SEC who do you like the most right now?' It's Ole Miss."
That stance came after Finebaum had already been impressed by Ole Miss’s 31-3 win over Missouri. His reaction to that performance was blunt: "There's no way, coming away from that, of being anything but bullish on Ole Miss."
Barrie pointed to the Rebels’ offense, with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy driving the attack, while also raising questions about the defense. Still, that unit has steadied itself over the last two games.
The concerns aren’t baseless. Ole Miss was hammered 52-28 by Florida, with the Gators piling up 498 total yards and 302 rushing yards.
The Rebels also had to survive a wild opener against Louisville, giving up 469 yards in a 41-38 shootout. Since then, though, they haven’t allowed 400 yards or more than 24 points in any of their other four games.
Even so, Ole Miss sits last in the SEC in yards allowed per game at 390.
Chambliss has been efficient, if not electric, through the season. He has thrown for 1,676 yards, with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions, and he has added 127 rushing yards and six scores on the ground.
Lacy’s production has climbed, though his usage still looks light. He has only 62 carries in six games and missed the Florida game altogether, but he finally crossed the 100-yard mark in Week 6, when he ran 16 times for 122 yards. For the season, he has 352 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
The schedule is about to tell a bigger story. Ole Miss still has Texas, Auburn and Georgia coming up next, with only the Longhorns on the road.
ESPN’s FPI gives the Rebels a 44% chance to make the College Football Playoff, placing them in the middle of a five-team group projected between 39% and 49%. Finebaum, though, is buying into Ole Miss as the real thing - and as the SEC’s top CFP threat alongside Georgia.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Just Got A National Vote Of Confidence Before Texas
Ole Miss is heading into the stretch run with plenty of momentum, and it just picked up a notable endorsement from one of the sports most recognizable voices. On the Pat McAfee show, ESPN analyst Rece Davis said he views the Rebels as a legitimate contender in the 2026 college football season, even putting them in the conversation as the SECs second-best team behind Georgia.
That kind of national confidence matters because the schedule only gets more revealing from here, starting with Texas on deck. Ole Miss already has notable wins over LSU, Missouri and Louisville, and the next few weeks will show whether the Rebels can keep stacking those kinds of results as the second half of the season tightens the margin for error. [Read more 🡒]
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 🡒]