National Analyst Predicts Ole Miss Football To Play Texas Longhorns in SEC Title Game

Lane Kiffin and Co. continue their rise in 2025, officially have America's attention after top-five win over LSU Tigers.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

No. 4 Ole Miss (5-0, 3-0 SEC) has taken America by storm after opening the 2025 season with an unblemished record and a win over the LSU Tigers under the program's belt.

Lane Kiffin and Co. are steering the ship in the right direction with the Rebels stealing headlines after a statement victory over the Bayou Bengals in Week 5.

But the Ole Miss program is back to work this week during the open date with all eyes on carrying the momentum into the backend of the schedule.

"We’ve had two really hard practices, another one tomorrow. Full pads today," Kiffin said this week. "The message is we’ve got a lot of things to work on. Don’t listen to the outside noise about 5-0 and the ranking and all that.

"We’ve got a lot of things to work on. They’ve responded well. Very physical practices. We didn’t really need the bye, I didn’t feel like. We were in a good rhythm, but it is what it is.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

"But I explained to them, the bye isn’t the bye week. That’s the weekend. You don’t play on the weekend. We’ve got to grind and really work. We’ve spent a lot of time not just on Washington State but Georgia. It’s been good."

Now, with a hot start to the season, the Ole Miss Rebels have entered the College Football Playoff and National Championship contender conversations.

But there are hurdles that will need to be jumped - including the SEC Championship Game - if the opportunity presents itself.

Fox Sports' Joel Klatt believes that will be the case.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

Klatt's Take: SEC Championship Game Edition

“This is wide open, man,” Klatt said. “Like, this was very difficult, and I think that you could put a lot of different combinations in this championship game.”

“Again, this could be anybody. This could be one of six or seven different matchups,” Klatt added later. “I think this league is very balanced at the top, is how I’ll say it. I don’t think there’s a great team in the SEC. I do think that it’s balanced at the top.”

Klatt has the Texas Longhorns as his first pick in the SEC Championship Game despite a slow start with Arch Manning under center.

“I think that Texas is going to right the ship,” said Klatt. “I think this weekend is going to have a lot to do with that. They’re on the road at Florida, in what looks to be a very precarious game – and I know that sounds crazy because of Florida’s struggles so far this year, but more on that a little bit later in the program.”

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

Which program will join the Longhorns? None other than Kiffin's Rebels.

“And then another team that, you look up and their schedule is just built in order to succeed this year? Their SEC schedule is not as difficult as other SEC schedules, and you look at the win that they had last weekend over LSU? It’s Ole Miss,” said Klatt.

Entering the first weekend of October, it's the Texas Longhorns and Ole Miss Rebels piquing Klatt's interest.

“I think Texas and Ole Miss have really good chances to go to the SEC Championship Game,” said Klatt.

“This would be my guess right now, Ole Miss-Texas, and I think Texas would win that game as the SEC Champ,” Klatt said. “They still have an elite defense, folks, and that’s going to mean something in these types of games.

"And I think Arch will continue to get better as the season goes along. So I’m still going to hitch that wagon to Texas.”

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Football's Lane Kiffin Reacts to Oklahoma Sooners as Annual SEC Rival

Ole Miss Football, Oklahoma Sooners and Nebraska Cornhuskers Heating Up In Recruiting

Alabama Head Coach Betting Odds: Ole Miss Football's Lane Kiffin Listed as a Favorite

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