Ole Miss Squanders College Football Playoff Spot With Loss To Florida; Tennessee Benefits In Big CFP Shakeup

The chances of Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss playing in the college football playoff took a massive hit on Saturday afternoon in Gainesville, thanks to the rejuvenated Florida Gators. Florida's 24-17 win was massive for coach Billy Napier, and it also causes further chaos in the College Football Playoff rankings that are coming on Tuesday. 

I told you on Friday to expect chaos this weekend, judging by the previous weeks of this season, and the Gators playing much better. What I didn't expect was the Ole Miss offense to struggle that much against the Gators, giving Florida QB DJ Lagway an opportunity to deliver a massive shakeup in the playoff rankings. 

What we witnessed on Saturday was a team that looked out of sync from the start, sparking some hope every now and then, thanks to Jaxson Dart's passing ability. But the problem was that Dart also put this offense into some very bad spots, with two turnovers on the day. What some thought would be a monster win for Ole Miss, coming off a bye, has now turned into disaster. 

How Does This Help Teams Just On The Outside? SEC Is Pure Crazy

You want to know who the biggest winner might be with the Rebels losing? That would be Tennessee, who was on the outside looking in this week, but now had fans in Knoxville doing the ‘Gator Chomp’ after hearing the final score announced over the PA system. 

A number of teams around college football were hoping the Rebels would come up short against the Gators on Saturday, opening up a path for them to get into the playoff. After losing to Ohio state earlier this afternoon, Indiana is also a big winner, even after suffering the loss. 

Now, the playoff committee will have to judge the Hoosiers with other teams that have already secured a loss, or two. What does a one-loss Indiana team look like on paper against a two-loss SEC team? We're about to find out. The Indiana loss wasn’t going to help the Vols much, given that the committee was probably not going to drop the Hoosiers out of the Top-12. 

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 23: DJ Lagway #2 of the Florida Gators hands the ball off during the first half of a game against the Mississippi Rebels at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Also, don't forget that the SEC Championship will end with a team taking their 3rd loss. This means that the final rankings could come down to a 3-loss SEc team, and maybe a 1-2 loss Big Ten squad. 

But, for teams sitting with two-losses on the season, the Rebels loss is going to pay dividends. We were wondering how many teams from the Big Ten and SEC would make the final rankings in three weeks. Well, things are getting a bit crazier down the stretch for a few. 

How about teams like Texas A&M and Texas? The showdown next week in College Station is going to be pivotal for playoff rankings, and the third SEC loss for Ole Miss certainly helps the loser between the Aggies and Longhorns. 

We know that if Notre Dame loses another game, they should be out of the conversation, as that Northern Illinois loss still haunts them. Now, a team like BYU is not out of the conversation, needing to run the table, and obviously win the Big 12. Now, Alabama will move up if they win against Oklahoma, while Georgia and Tennessee should both move up a few spots. 

If anything, you could keep Indiana in the Top-12, but have them behind Georgia and the Vols this week, if we're really looking at strength of schedule. 

A Rough Ending For Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin

This felt like a trap-game all week long, as the Rebels took the field for the first time since beating Georgia in Oxford. But still, I thought there was enough magic on offense with Jaxson Dart that will stave-off the Gators, who have been playing much better football. 

This is going to sting for a long time for Lane Kiffin, if nothing crazier happens that affects the college football playoff rankings. But obviously, losing three games, with two of them coming against Kentucky and Florida.  

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Lane Kiffin of the Mississippi Rebels looks on before the start of a game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

When Kiffin talked about not wanting to play in the SEC championship game due to how it affects a team's standings in the CFP, I didn't think this would happen because of a loss to Florida. But now, after a off-season that was built around this ‘Last Dance’ team of transfer-portal stars, the Rebels are going to be eating humble-pie for Thanksgiving. 

It almost seems fitting that the Rebels postseason chances most likely came to an end at Florida, which is a place that started to come up when Billy Napier was struggling earlier this season. 

Man, things have certainly changed over the last few weeks of college football.