As the 2025 college football season approaches, no team in the SEC appears better positioned to make a run at the College Football Playoff than Ole Miss. While Lane Kiffin’s Rebels have plenty of talent, their favorable schedule stands out the most, and gives them arguably the easiest path to the playoff in the entire SEC.
The first major advantage? Who don’t they play? Ole Miss avoids both Alabama and Texas, two perennial powers loaded with blue-chip talent and national title aspirations. Skipping these two juggernauts alone drastically lowers the Rebels’ degree of difficulty in the SEC gauntlet.
Equally important is where Ole Miss plays its biggest games. LSU is on the schedule, but not in the dreaded Saturday night cauldron of Baton Rouge. Instead, the Rebels will host the Tigers in the friendly confines of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, where the atmosphere is expected to be electric. The same holds true for matchups against South Carolina and Florida, two programs known for tough home-field environments. Instead of braving the crowd noise at Williams-Brice or The Swamp, Ole Miss gets both contests at home. The Rebels’ only significant road challenges come against Arkansas, Georgia, and Oklahoma. While Athens will be a true test, Georgia may be the only CFP-caliber road environment they’ll face all year.
Offensively, the Rebels have the tools to be explosive in 2025. Many believe Austin Simmons could be the best quarterback Kiffin has had in Oxford, which is saying something after Jaxson Dart’s first-round NFL selection. Simmons will have a veteran weapon in Cayden Lee to lean on, plus a reloaded receiving corps that includes 2,500 yards of 2024 production via Power 4 transfers De’Zhaun Stribling, Harrison Wallace III, Deuce Alexander, Traylon Ray, and Caleb Odom.
Austin Simmons put the CFB World on NOTICE with his drive against Georgia
pic.twitter.com/PhrWmqzhb9— Barstool Ole Miss (@BarstoolOleMiss) March 26, 2025
Defensively, this is year three for Pete Golding as the defensive coordinator in Oxford. With returning stalwarts like Zxavian Harris at nose tackle and Suntarine Perkins at linebacker, combined with a significant influx of edge rusher talent in Princewill Umanmielen and Dashwan Womack, the front seven should be potent. The secondary is in flux as always for Kiffin’s squad, but pressure on the front end should help those guys out.
In a conference where most contenders navigate brutal schedules with multiple CFP-level matchups, Ole Miss finds itself in a rare leverage position. With a manageable slate, elite offensive firepower, and Kiffin’s knack for innovation, the Rebels have a clear and realistic path to their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance.
Ole Miss does have a very favorable schedule. I´m just not quite convinced we can trust them not to get upset a couple times by inferior competition like Kentucky and Florida last year to cost them a spot. (tbf I called the Florida upset but they still lost to an inferior team).
At least Georgia Bulldogs will have both Alabama & Ole Miss in Athens, GA
8 homes games is certainly a favorable schedule! The Citadel is going to be a tough one!
Fan of cupcake games.
These are the same conference opponents as last year and somehow, Ole Miss was on the cusp of getting into the CFP.