Ole Miss’s Lane Kiffin sent mild warning on Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi State, LSU originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Ole Miss Rebels football coach Lane Kiffin saw his team suffer a 43-35 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs Between the Hedges on Saturday afternoon. The Rebels were not favored to win going in and got five touchdowns between quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy.
Ipso facto, Ole Miss looks healthy. The sky isn’t falling. But it could be soon if the Rebels can’t handle business against the Oklahoma Sooners next weekend in Norman, writes USA Today’s Paul Myerberg.
“The loss in Athens isn’t fatal by any means, though things could get interesting if the Rebels lose next week at No. 13 Oklahoma. While this feels like a missed opportunity because of how Georgia pulled away in the fourth quarter, the bigger concern comes from how easily the Bulldogs were able to win in the trenches. Georgia ran for 222 yards and gave up just 88 yards on 3.7 yards per carry. Another issue is the play of quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who had his worst game of the year in completing just 52.8% of his throw with a touchdown, though he also ran for two scores,” Myerberg wrote.
Ole Miss has a fairly manageable end of the 2025 schedule. The South Carolina Gamecocks, the Citadel Bulldogs, and the Florida Gators visit the Grove, while the Egg Bowl takes place in Starkville this year.
Therein lies the problem. Ole Miss may lack signature wins, especially with a 24-19 win over the LSU Tigers becoming less and less impressive after another loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores in Week 8.
Florida is building itself this season, making it a potential upset candidate. Rivalry games are always volatile, so the Mississippi State Bulldogs are a live dog in that one, too.
Two losses may not be enough to get the Rebels into the College Football Playoff. A third is the death knell to their postseason hopes.
OU represents the last major challenge of the season. The Sooners are simultaneously their last potential mulligan, but also their biggest remaining potential statement.
We’ll see if Kiffin’s group responds to their first loss of the season.
