Why Ole Miss Deserves to Host a College Football Playoff Game-No Debate Needed
Let’s be clear about something: Ole Miss should absolutely be hosting a College Football Playoff game in a few weeks. That shouldn’t even be up for debate.
There’s been some chatter comparing the Rebels’ current situation to what Florida State went through in 2023, with some fans arguing that Ole Miss should be bumped out of a hosting spot-or even out of the Playoff altogether-because of Lane Kiffin’s departure. But that line of thinking doesn’t hold up. At all.
Remember, Florida State in 2023 lost its starting quarterback, Jordan Travis, to a season-ending injury. That was a tangible, on-field loss.
The Seminoles’ offense took a visible step back, and the committee had a few weeks to evaluate how they looked without their leader under center. Even then, under the 12-team format we’re using now, that Florida State team would’ve hosted a Playoff game.
Ole Miss, on the other hand, still has its full roster of impact players. Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy, Wydett Williams, Suntarine Perkins-everyone who helped power the Rebels to an 11-1 record is still suiting up.
We haven’t even seen what this team looks like without Kiffin on the sideline. So why would the committee make a preemptive strike and punish the players for something that hasn’t even played out yet?
Bottom line: the Rebels earned this. They took care of business all season long. Let them play the home game they’ve earned.
BYU: The Playoff Wild Card That’s Hard to Peg
Now, if there’s one team that’s tough to figure out in this Playoff picture, it’s BYU.
They’ve got quality wins, a stronger overall résumé than some of the teams ahead of them, and-importantly-a “better loss” than Notre Dame. And when you stack them up next to Alabama, both squads have a real argument to leapfrog the Irish, especially after reaching their respective conference title games.
Let’s not forget Miami either. They beat Notre Dame earlier in the season and closed strong with a win over Pitt in Week 14.
That’s the kind of late-season statement the committee tends to notice. If we’re talking about merit, Miami has a claim to move ahead of Notre Dame too.
But here’s the wrinkle: would the committee actually drop Notre Dame three spots after a Week 14 win? That’s where the “eye test” comes into play. How much stock will they put in how these teams look versus what their résumés say?
And while we’re here-can BYU just join a conference already? This kind of uncertainty is exactly why independence makes things tricky when it comes to postseason positioning.
Texas, Vanderbilt, and the Bowl Shuffle
The Playoff door is closing fast for Texas and Vanderbilt. Too many contenders, not enough seats at the table.
Texas did beat Vanderbilt head-to-head, and with the Longhorns carrying the bigger brand-and yes, that matters when bowl committees are making decisions-they’re slotted for the Citrus Bowl against Michigan. Not a bad consolation prize.
Vanderbilt, meanwhile, lands in the ReliaQuest Bowl, where they’ll take on Iowa. It’s the second-best non-Playoff slot for an SEC team, and considering how this season played out, it’s a solid destination.
Elsewhere in the SEC, only three other teams are bowl-eligible: Tennessee, Missouri, and LSU. Here’s how their postseason shakes out:
- Tennessee heads to the Gator Bowl to face Miami.
- Missouri lands in the Mayo Bowl against Clemson.
- LSU rounds it out in the Music City Bowl, matched up with Illinois.
A Quick Refresher on the 2025-26 College Football Playoff Format
This year’s Playoff format sticks with the 12-team structure, but with a key tweak: while the top five conference champions still get automatic bids, only the top four ranked teams among them will earn first-round byes. That’s a shift from last year, when the top four conference champs were guaranteed byes regardless of ranking.
Here’s how the bracket shapes up:
Quarterfinals (New Year’s Six Bowls):
- Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. winner of 8/9 game
- Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs. winner of 7/10 game
- Orange Bowl: Indiana vs. winner of 6/11 game
- Cotton Bowl: Texas Tech vs. winner of 5/12 game
First-Round Matchups (On-Campus Sites):
- College Station, TX: No.
5 Texas A&M vs. No.
12 North Texas
- Eugene, OR: No.
6 Oregon vs. No.
11 Virginia
- Oxford, MS: No.
7 Ole Miss vs. No.
10 BYU
- Norman, OK: No.
8 Oklahoma vs. No.
9 Alabama
These on-campus games are a new tradition that fans are quickly falling in love with. The energy, the weather, the pageantry-it’s everything that makes college football special, all packed into a high-stakes setting.
And if you’re Ole Miss, hosting BYU in Oxford? That’s exactly the kind of moment this team-and this fanbase-has earned.