Ole Miss Projected to Play Meaningless Bowl Game, Miss CFP Next Season

Ole Miss was left out of the College Football Playoff in recent bowl projections.

Aug 30, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels helmets lay on the field prior to the game against the Georgia State Panthers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Imagesd | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Brett McMurphy of On3 released his post-spring college football bowl projections on Wednesday, slotting Ole Miss into the Music City Bowl, a noticeable drop for a program that has been in recent College Football Playoff conversations.

The path to the playoffs is clearly tougher than it was a year ago, given the move to a nine-game conference schedule and the significant coaching turnover on the offensive side of the ball. But is this a fair prediction for a squad that returns a game-changing Heisman Trophy favorite?

There are legitimate questions about the depth and quality of the offensive line after Ole Miss had to replace both starting tackles and lost Devin Harper in the portal. It's also fair to wonder whether the Rebels added enough talent at wide receiver to replace Cayden Lee, De'Zhaun Stribling, and Trey Wallace.

Ole Miss still has plenty working in its favor heading into 2026, and it starts with Pete Golding.

Despite the events surrounding the tragic death of freshman Corey Adams and a final stretch of the season overshadowed by Lane Kiffin's career decisions, the Rebels still went 13-2 in 2025. With Pete Golding, the program has a chance to enter 2026 with a rare continuity in a year defined by change, which could make this team very dangerous.

And then there's the backfield.

With Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy, the Rebels bring back one of the most electric backfield duos in program history. Lacy carried a massive load in 2025, piling up 1,609 rushing yards and emerging as the engine of the offense. But if Ole Miss gets meaningful contributions from Southern Utah transfer Joshua Dye and Makhi Frazier, that depth could prove invaluable. Not only would it help preserve Lacy over the course of the season, it could make him even more dangerous when the games matter most in the fall.

The Edge No One's Talking About

An Ole Miss fan cheers during the first round of the College Football Playoff against Tulane at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. | Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One hidden factor in projecting the Rebels' season is where many of their biggest games will be played. Ole Miss is 34-3 at home since 2021, making Vaught-Hemingway Stadium one of the SEC's most dependable home-field edges. With five of nine conference games in Oxford, including LSU and Georgia, that advantage could be the difference between a fringe bowl projection and a spot in the postseason conversation.

Trips to Austin, Norman and Gainesville in one season are never easy. But as long as Trinidad Chambliss is under center, Ole Miss has a chance to win every game.

Add Kewan Lacy, the depth behind him, and 70,000 packed into the Vaught on Saturdays, and suddenly the destination isn't Nashville – it's the College Football Playoff.

Sign up to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.