Paul Finebaum Blasts Projected Win Total for a Major College Football Program

The Ole Miss Rebels were one of the talks of the offseason up to this point. The Rebels are coming off an impressive season that saw them go 13-2 and make the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.

Pete Golding Has a Chance to Prove Ole Miss Wasn't Just Lane Kiffin

Ole Miss went 2-1 in the playoff, defeating the Tulane Green Wave and the Georgia Bulldogs, before falling to the Miami Hurricanes in the final seconds of the semifinals. The Rebels did all of this after head coach Lane Kiffin left the team to take the LSU Tigers' head coaching job following the regular season.

Due to that move, Ole Miss' administration didn't allow him to coach in the playoff; instead, promoting defensive coordinator Pete Golding to full-time head coach.

Then this offseason, the team made more headlines as quarterback Trinidad Chambliss won his appeal to get another season of eligibility. So, Ole Miss returns one of the top quarterbacks in college football, as well as one of the best running backs in college football, Kewan Lacy, along with continuity on defense with Golding at the helm.

Despite all of that, the over/under win total was set at 7.5 for the upcoming season. The Rebels haven't won fewer than seven games since the COVID-shortened 2020 season. ESPN's Paul Finebaum was asked his thoughts on this win total on "The Paul Finebaum Show."

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

Paul Finebaum Calls Ole Miss' Win Total Absurd

He called the designation from Vegas "truly absurd."

"I don't want to argue with Vegas, but that [7.5 win total] is truly absurd," Finebaum said. "If you would have said 9.5, I would have said that's a tough number to pick because I think Ole Miss has a chance to be 10-2... To me, 9-3 looks a lot more realistic than 7-5."

Can the Rebels Make Another College Football Playoff Run?

Golding's biggest challenge in 2026 will be proving that last season's success was not solely a product of Kiffin's presence. He inherited a program with a strong foundation, but now he has the opportunity to show he can lead Ole Miss into a new era. If Chambliss remains one of the top quarterbacks in the country and the defense continues playing at a high level, the Rebels should have no problem exceeding expectations.

However, if the program takes a step back without Kiffin, questions will quickly emerge about whether Ole Miss was built to last or simply benefited from one of the best coaches in college football.

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