Ole Miss Football Rises in Expert Computer Model's Rankings After Week 1 Win

Lane Kiffin and Co. make a statement in Week 1, all eyes on the task at hand heading into SEC play.

Aug 30, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) passes the ball during the fourth quarter against the Georgia State Panthers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels were Week 1 winners after dismantling the Georgia State Panthers at Vaught Hemingway Stadium this past Saturday.

In redshirt-sophomore quarterback Austin Simmons' starting debut, the Rebels' offense clicked in Oxford with the program now moving into SEC play with a 1-0 start.

"First start, it felt so surreal being out there for the first time, first snap of the game. I wasn't really nervous. I was just trusting myself. The first drive we scored on three plays," Simmons said.

"Of course, I'm going to have some mistakes here and there, some mental errors like the interception early in the game. But as far as I can say, I think I did a pretty good job. Especially with the whole offensive unit.

"We were very explosive down the field. We were moving the ball pretty well. I'm really excited for this whole team."

Now, Ole Miss will move into Week 2 with a Southeastern Conference clash against the Kentucky Wildcats on the docket.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

A look into the Week 2 game information and the SP+ Rankings after the first week of college football.

The Game Information: Week 2 Edition

Matchup: Ole Miss Rebels vs. Kentucky Wildcats
Kickoff Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
Venue: Kroger Field - Lexington (Ky.)
TV Channel: ABC
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Radio Network
Ole Miss Rebels Record: 1-0
Kentucky Wildcats: 1-0

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

The SP+ Rankings: Week 1 Edition

What is SP+? According to ESPN, "in a single sentence, it's a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency that I originally created at Football Outsiders in 2008.SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing.

"It is not a résumé ranking (hence the lack of unbeatens near the top), so it does not automatically give credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling -- no good predictive system does.

No. 1: Georgia Bulldogs
No. 2: Ohio State Buckeyes
No. 3: Oregon Ducks
No. 4: Ole Miss Rebels
No. 5: LSU Tigers
No. 6: Penn State Nittany Lions
No. 7: Tennessee Volunteers
No. 8: Oklahoma Sooners
No. 9: Florida Gators
No. 10: Miami Hurricanes

Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels remain a top program in the SP+ Rankings with the program being favored by several computer models.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

The remainder of the SP+ Rankings:

No. 11: Alabama Crimson Tide
No. 12: South Carolina Gamecocks
No. 13: Texas Longhorns
No. 14: USC Trojans
No. 15: Michigan Wolverines
No. 16: Misouri Tigers
No. 17: Texas A&M Aggies
No. 18: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
No. 19: Utah Utes
No. 20: Louisville Cardinals
No. 21: Illinois Fighting Illini
No. 22: Auburn Tigers
No. 23: Texas Tech Red Raiders
No. 24: Clemson Tigers
No. 25: Kansas Jayhawks

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Football Fall Camp Notes: Which Quarterback Will Backup Austin Simmons?

The Preseason Coaches Poll Ranking: Ole Miss Football Comes in at No. 15

What It Means: Ole Miss Football Beats Out Michigan Wolverines for Coveted Linebacker

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.