Especially after this season’s first installment of the College Football Playoff rankings, fans everywhere began prepping for the presence of 9-3 SEC programs to taint the bracket—it was simply a matter of how many would actually make the splash.
But, after Week 10, one thing is clear to me: the Ole Miss Rebels should not be part of that discussion.
I know, right? The team with headlining wins over the absolute untouchables that are LSU and Missouri (also three-loss powers) shouldn’t get the benefit of the doubt after taking a 42-7 hit in November from the toughest opponent it’s faced? Crazy talk!
In all seriousness, this should be an obvious revelation, but I can already hear the counterpoints from every SEC homer on the face of the Earth, and how? Because I've heard them at the same time every other year, with the good ol’ “strength of schedule” cry leading the charge.
“Austin, SOS should matter when it comes to the CFP race!”
Yes, indeed it should, and for those who still haven’t figured it out, let the record show that it does. There’s a reason then-two-loss Ole Miss entered last week ranked several spots above one-loss teams Texas Tech and Wake Forest, after all. But you know what else should matter? LOSING MULTIPLE GAMES IN PITIFUL FASHION.
I don’t know how many more times this has to be said before people can grasp it, but “weighing SOS” does not mean “ignoring losses no matter how hideous.”
You have one bad loss with multiple strong wins? The bad loss becomes easier to forgive. However, I don’t know how you can forgive a blowout loss to 5-4 Florida, a loss to Texas, and another blowout loss, this time at home and significantly later in the season.
I mean sure, LSU and Mizzou are solid dubs, but beating three-loss opponents doesn’t seem to be moving the needle for most other teams right now, so I fail to see why the Rebels should be treated any softer.
As for who all is yet to come, Ole Miss takes on 5-4 Oklahoma, Wofford, and a losing Mississippi State that’s been trudging along without star quarterback Kamario Taylor. If beating LSU and Mizzou won't erase the continuous collapsing from my mind, I’d love to know how pecking at any of those smaller fish will.
The 2026 Rebels have an unremovable stain to them that’s very reminiscent of those that belonged to 2025 Texas and 2024 Alabama. The stain kept those previous squads out of the playoff field, and after this display against Georgia, Ole Miss fans should brace for the same fate.
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