Bye Week Could Be Perfect Timing for Ole Miss’ Playoff Picture

OXFORD, Miss. — Whether it was the goal or not, college football is turning into NFL Light (or Lite, depending on brand preferences). For Ole Miss that could be a very good thing.

Despite what some of these talking heads are saying in the media, the Rebels’ chances are completely gone. Especially in what is shaping up to be a completely wild season.

Getting a week off at this point means when they come back against Oklahoma, the picture may be coming into focus a little clearer.

Even Vanderbilt is still in things at this point. Considering the craziness this year, we probably aren’t even close to having any accurate guesses as to what the final dozen to play for a national title looks like.

This might have been the plan all along, but forget about looking at things the way we have for years. We had the BCS for years, then a four-team playoff. Both struggled with the politics of playing favorites.

Nothing changes now except one or two losses doesn’t automatically eliminate you from the possibility of playing for a title. There was a time when one loss pretty much meant you were out of the national championship picture unless you got lucky.

With the exception of Texas that starts playing really strong teams this week, everybody has at least one loss. The Rebels will have a better measuring stick of where they stand next week against Oklahoma.

After the Sooners were trampled by the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl last week, an explosion by the Ole Miss offense could thrust the Rebels right back into these projections and, certainly, into reality.

With 12 teams going into the playoffs, we’ll find out if they are taking the best dozen teams or simply trying to fill quotas. The SEC and Big Ten seem to be trying to form a little bit of a breakaway power move to get four teams in there every year each.

The math issue there is it means the ACC and Big 12 have to figure out a way to divide three teams into the whole thing. It’s likely why it will expand sooner or later, although before a mass move for that we need to see at least one year with 12.

The Rebels just have to win. Losing to Kentucky could come back to haunt Ole Miss in a few weeks, but for now wins over Oklahoma and Georgia would at least get them into the conversation.

Then we see what happens everywhere else. There will be at least one team with two losses in the playoff and probably more. That’s starting to become clear unless something changes drastically this year.

Ole Miss can’t count on that. The reality is all Lane Kiffin can do is try to win every game in front of this team that has the talent to do just that. Nobody thought it would be easy against LSU, but that’s one where the night environment and the Tigers getting some things sorted out was enough to win.

The Rebels had some key injuries that reduced the talent available to put on the field. A lot of talking heads want to blame Kiffin, but he’s relying on his position coaches to give him the best information. He can’t watch every group every single practice.

Don’t even start complaining about playcalling. If you’ve never played or coached at the SEC level you have no idea how really ridiculous that is. The coaches will tell you they often don’t know exactly what play is going to happen because quarterbacks can audible or change things based on what they see.

Everything is read and react these days. Besides, if coaches knew what the outcome of a play would be they wouldn’t call it in the first place.

It’s kind of like being at practice. I’ve been going to them at various levels and places all over the country for 50 years and I have no idea what they are actually trying to accomplish. Give me the practice plan and I’ll know but just standing there watching tells me nothing.

This playoff chase is kinda like that this year. Nobody really knows how it’s going to play out, but it probably won’t be like all these talking head experts think it will.

It gives Ole Miss a chance. That’s probably all Kiffin is wanting at this point.