Finebaum Thoughts on Rebels’ Playoff Hopes After LSU Loss

OXFORD, Miss. — The Rebels’ focus has now shifted from a loss against LSU to recovery in a bye week. There has been plenty of talk this week about how Ole Miss has failed to live up to the hype with arguably its most talented roster in decades.

SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum joined ESPN anchor Matt Barrie’s podcast sharing his thoughts if Ole Miss still has hope of a College Football Playoff bid. With such a daunting schedule remaining that includes hosting Oklahoma, Georgia and a road trip to Arkansas things could unravel quickly.

“I agree with you, Matt and playing the schedule game, Ole Miss has one game on schedule that I think will do them in, even assuming they’re not done in already,” Finebaum said during his segment on The Matt Barrie Show. “Because that Kentucky loss is now looking nasty. They have to deal with Georgia — a win against Georgia, and depending on where Georgia is, but Georgia very likely is going to have to win that game, too.”

Expectations for Kiffin’s team soared this offseason with his staff’s focus of building a roster of star transfers. He also added quality freshmen with the school’s major push for NIL contribution.

Ole Miss was ranked No. 6 in the preseason AP Poll but have fallen to No. 18 with two losses. Another hiccup could cause things to unravel for a team perceived as one of the best before the season.

Before yall think the worse lol. I Red Shirted so I can play a complete year for my last opportunity of College ball.

All Luv 🗣️

— KE(Y) LAWRENCE 💰C❌C (@KeShawn2x) October 14, 2024

Speaking of building a roster on transfers and NIL has sparked conversation around the nation that the new way of college football isn’t sustainable. Players are now opting out midseason to preserve their redshirt year to transfer again. That’s the case for safety Key Lawrence who transferred to Ole Miss from Oklahoma during the offseason.

Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin reacts after a play against the LSU Tigers during the second half at Tiger Stadium. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

This is in no way meant to discourage athletes and coaches from doing what they desire with the portal. However, it seems building a roster full of transfers isn’t translating to victories this season.

Many programs that have heavily used the portal have two or more losses already. Which could be proof that team chemistry is built over time and not cooked instantly.

There’s no such thing for program loyalty anymore. Seeing freshmen end their respective careers at one school seems to be a thing of the past. Loyalty at the professional level is long gone as most are looking to secure a bag instead of playing for a single franchise their entire career.