Football
Is loss to Florida most disappointing defeat in Ole Miss history?
Despite the loss, though, Rebels’ path to playoff isn’t as unthinkable as you might expect
Saturday’s 24-17 loss to unranked Florida may be one of the most disappointing losses in Ole Miss history.
Consider the goals the Rebels had and the steps taken to reach those goals. They wanted to be in contention for an SEC title or at least be in the same tier as SEC’s best teams. The Rebels also wanted a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
To make those things happen, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin brought in several of the best players in last winter’s NCAA transfer portal (Walter Nolen, Princley Umanmielen, Antwane Wells Jr., Trey Amos, Chris Paul Jr., etc.) to improve a Rebels team that had won 11 games.
The 2024 season wasn’t a smooth one (truthfully, though, it hasn’t been smooth for any college football teams this season) with losses to Kentucky and LSU. The Rebels were longshots to play for an SEC title, but were in line to earn a spot in the playoff.
But not anymore. Everything finally seemed to align for Ole Miss, who was considered one of the most dangerous teams in the country. It wasn’t crazy to think the Rebels might actually win the playoff, too.
That’s why Saturday’s loss to Florida is so disappointing. It will keep the Rebels from achieving their goals this season when they were the highest and realistic.
Or does it?
The general consensus is that Ole Miss won’t make the playoff. But that was before crazy things like Oklahoma blowing out No. 7 Alabama and Auburn beating No. 15 Texas A&M. The Crimson Tide was ranked two spots ahead of Ole Miss in the latest playoff rankings and is the team Ole Miss needs to, somehow, get ahead of in the rankings.
Auburn beating Alabama in the Iron Bowl would do it and Vanderbilt beating Tennessee would help. After this season, neither of those things seem impossible. If that happens, how would the playoff committee look at the Rebels?
And what will the committee say about the Rebels if they can boast a win against the SEC Champion (Georgia)?
So, yes, losing to Florida is shocking and disappointing and the chances aren’t high, but crazier things have happened than Ole Miss somehow finding a way back into the College Football Playoff.
| Sat, Aug 31 |  | vs Furman | W, 76-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | vs Middle Tennessee | W, 52-3 |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | @ Wake Forest | W, 40-6 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | vs Georgia Southern | W, 52-13 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Kentucky | L, 20-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | @ South Carolina | W, 27-3 |
| Sat, Oct 12 |  | vs LSU | L, 29-26 (2 OT) |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | vs Oklahoma | W, 26-14 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | @ Arkansas | W, 63-35 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Georgia | W, 28-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | @ Florida | L, 24-17 |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | vs Mississippi State | 2:30 PM ABC |