3 Overreactions After Ole Miss' Thrilling Win Over LSU

The Rebels got a major win over LSU last night.

Ole Miss wide receiver Deuce Alexander celebrates after catching a touchdown during a college football game between Ole Miss and LSU at Vaught Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. Ole Miss defeated LSU 32-24. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Last night, Ole Miss and head coach Pete Golding defeated Lane Kiffin and LSU 32-24.

While undoubtedly a statement win, emotions running high because of Lane Kiffin's return to Oxford can lead to some overreactions for the Rebels this week.

Let's look into three of them.

Ole Miss is Winning the National Championship

Ole Miss wide receiver Traylon Ray carries the ball for a touchdown during a college football game between Ole Miss and LSU at Vaught Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. Ole Miss defeated LSU 32-24. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

After the victory over LSU and the release of the new AP poll, Ole Miss now has victories over No. 10 LSU and No. 16 Louisville, giving the Rebels one of the strongest resumes in the country.

Ole Miss is now No. 4, which puts it in the conversation for the national championship early this season. The thing making the claim that they're winning the national championship an "overreaction" is the rest of the schedule for Ole Miss.

On top of the two ranked games so far, the Rebels will have to play No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Georgia, No. 19 Missouri, No. 21 Florida, No. 24 Mississippi State and an Oklahoma team that is unranked because of a slow start but was in the preseason top 10.

The Magnolia Bowl win puts Ole Miss in the conversation for the national championship, but the Rebels need to continue putting difficult wins together to even be playoff locks, let alone one of the favorites to win it all.

Pete Golding is the Best Coach in the SEC

Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding speaks during ESPN College GameDay ahead of the Ole Miss-LSU game in The Grove in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Pete Golding outcoached Lane Kiffin to win last night. That win made Pete Golding 5-1 as head coach of the Rebels, with two playoff wins, including the Sugar Bowl, where the Rebels beat Kirby Smart's and Georgia.

Golding has an incredible resume for having so little experience as a head coach. However, for as impressive as the "bend-don't-break" performance was by Ole Miss, they still blew a 24-7 lead at halftime to have the game tied at 24 after QB Trinidad Chambliss' go-ahead rushing touchdown and the subsequent two-point conversion.

The two-point conversion and the Sugar Bowl win are the biggest indicators of Pete Golding's potential as a head coach. If Golding can keep this pace up, he will be one of, if not the best, coaches in the conference, but he needs just a bit more time to build that status.

Lane Kiffin Will Fail at LSU

Mississippi Rebels linebacker Suntarine Perkins speaks with Louisiana State Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin after the game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A cathartic victory for the Rebels will lead to some conversations over whether Lane Kiffin made the right choice to leave Ole Miss for LSU and whether he will be able to recreate the success he had in Oxford in Baton Rouge.

While the loss is certainly not what Kiffin hoped for, it's also not necessarily an indicator of his failure. In an atmosphere like the one at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday night, LSU was mentally tough enough to claw back to a 24-24 ballgame from a 24-7 score at halftime.

Tonight was the first time Kiffin had faced major on-field adversity at LSU. The next real indicator of how his tenure will go is next week, when No. 23 Texas A&M, who are also angry because of a loss this week, will play in Death Valley. The game will be a must-win for both teams if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.

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