In terms of magnitude and how it could shape the remainder of the season, Coach Lane Kiffin might have picked up his biggest win of his tenure in Oxford as the Rebels delivered the knockout blow to Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers 24-19 on Saturday afternoon. Last season, the Rebels lost to both Kentucky and LSU, all but knocking them out of the College Football Playoff contention. This year, we’re done with September, and the Rebels have not only beaten both teams, but they have climbed to the 4th-ranked team in the country via the AP Poll, adding to the euphoria felt across Rebel Nation as Ole Miss shifts the focus to the bye week before welcoming Washington State to Vaught Hemingway Stadium on October 11th. 

With a win of this magnitude and a manageable schedule ahead, the conversation shifts from a College Football Playoffs hopeful to a legitimate contender, not just to reach the College Football Playoff but to compete for a National Championship. In all likelihood, the Rebels, if anything, will have a home-field advantage before heading to a neutral site to play a quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff. Before that, there’s a shot for Ole Miss to be playing in Atlanta for the SEC Championship game in December. For the sake of the conversation, people don’t realize that dating back to the first SEC Championship game in 1992, the Rebels have never played in the game, got close in 2003, but were unable to complete the job; just reaching the SEC Championship would be a massive win for Coach Kiffin in what he’s building in Oxford. In the modern age, with the expanded College Football Playoffs, if you reach the SEC Championship game, you’re an automatic qualifier for the College Football Playoff. 

So, what makes this Ole Miss different from years past? 

For starters, Ole Miss has depth this year that they haven’t had in years past. We’ve seen it over the last few weeks, with Austin Simmons out due to an injury, when Trinidad Chambliss took over as the starting quarterback and has since given Ole Miss an added weapon to rely on. When Simmons returns to full health, Coach Kiffin will have a decision to make, but one that won’t cost Ole Miss any games, as both players give Ole Miss a chance not only to win games but also to reach the SEC Championship during the first weekend of December. Chambliss finished his day against LSU with a touchdown, with 314 yards through the air, and 71 yards on the ground. 

Second, something that doesn’t get talked about enough, but Coach Kiffin has matured significantly as a Head Coach. Sure, he might poke fun at other coaches on social media or in a press conference, but he has matured as a playcaller who used his mistakes last season to develop his team this year into a juggernaut. Not only has he been open about previous struggles with alcohol, but Coach Kiffin has completely shifted his program into a family-oriented program where wins are important, but having families around is the most important thing to him and his staff. We’ve seen it through the first five games, but the mindset of the program has changed under the new leadership of Coach Lane Kiffin, and we’ve seen the results in the 5-0 start and the number four ranking in the AP Poll. 

Lastly, there’s a lot of football to be played, and things can happen, but as of this point in the season, Ole Miss has done the small things well. Last season, the small things weren’t done the way they needed to be, and the Rebels lost to Florida and LSU, suffering a terrible loss to Kentucky. This season has been different, and the program as a whole has faced adversity head-on, keeping on track to earn an undefeated record heading into the Washington State game on October 11th. 

Ole Miss will return to action on October 11th as they welcome Washington State to Vaught Hemingway Stadium for an early kickoff with the Cougars. 

Photo Credits- Ole Miss Football on X