David Pollack Names College Football Program That Can End Its Over 60-Year Championship Drought

Former ESPN broadcaster David Pollack during the Rose Bowl. | USA TODAY Sports

The Ole Miss Rebels will be one of college football's biggest stories this upcoming season.

All Eyes on Oxford

One of those reasons is due to head coach Lane Kiffin leaving the program after six seasons at the end of the regular season last year. Kiffin went 55-19 in his six years at the helm, one of the best six-year stretches in program history. His best year was in 2025, when he led the team to an 11-1 season and their first berth in the College Football Playoff.

However, he elected that he couldn't consistently compete for national championships at a place like Ole Miss, so he decided to take the head coaching job with the LSU Tigers. The Rebels decided to promote defensive coordinator Pete Golding to head coach.

Under his leadership, Ole Miss made it to the College Football Playoff semifinals, where they'd lose in the final seconds to the Miami Hurricanes.

Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The other reason the team will be a big story is that the Rebels should be one of the best teams in college football. The team returns, arguably, the best quarterback and running back in the country.

Trinidad Chambliss burst onto the scene last year, throwing for 3,937 yards, 22 touchdowns and three interceptions, while rushing for 527 yards and eight scores. Kewan Lacy rushed for 1,567 yards and 24 scores.

David Pollack Believes Ole Miss Has National Championship Potential

Those two will play a big factor in the Rebels winning their first national championship in the College Football Playoff era.

College football analyst David Pollack revealed on "See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack" that he feels, worst-case scenario, Ole Miss is an eight- or nine-win team. But in the best case, they can win the SEC and the national championship.

"The floor to me, this is an eight- win, nine- win team," Pollack said. "Like, that's the floor for Ole Miss, which is awesome. The ceiling is going to the College Football Playoff, winning the SEC. That's why they're on the contender list."

Rebels Can End Six-Decade Long Drought

Ole Miss has one of the most fascinating situations in college football heading into 2026. The Rebels must prove they can maintain their success without Kiffin, but the talent on the roster gives Golding a strong foundation to build from.

With elite playmakers at quarterback and running back, along with a team that already reached the playoffs last season, Ole Miss has a legitimate opportunity to prove it is more than just a one-year success story and can compete with the nation's best programs. If it does that, it can win the program's first national championship since 1962.