Paul Finebaum Names Major SEC Program That Had No Chance to Win the CFP

ESPN's Paul Finebaum. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels were one of the best teams in college football last season. They made a long run in the College Football Playoff despite losing head coach Lane Kiffin to the LSU Tigers before the playoff started.

Kiffin arrived in Baton Rouge following a highly successful six-year run at the Ole Miss Rebels, where he compiled a 55-19 record. He led the Rebels to four double-digit win seasons and transformed the program from a middle-tier SEC team into a legitimate playoff contender.

Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) scrambles past Miami Hurricanes defender Armondo Blount (18). | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Finebaum Never Believed Ole Miss Was a Title Team

Despite Ole Miss reaching the semifinals, Finebaum said on “The Paul Finebaum Show” that he never believed the Rebels had a realistic path to winning it all.

"I'm usually for the SEC," Finebaum said. "But I picked Miami to beat Ole Miss that day in Phoenix because Ole Miss played better than I even thought they would. Nobody thought they'd win the national championship, and nobody thought they'd beat Georgia."

Finebaum has a point. Ole Miss was good enough to make noise. They were not built like a typical national champion.

The Numbers Back Finebaum’s Argument

Historically, national champions usually dominate at the line of scrimmage and possess elite depth.

Ole Miss had playmakers and explosiveness, but they often relied heavily on quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and offensive creativity. Their playoff run was impressive because they outperformed expectations, not because they entered as favorites.

The Georgia win changed perceptions nationally, but beating one elite team is different than surviving an entire playoff bracket. That is the challenge of playoff football.

Why 2026 Could Be Different

Now Ole Miss enters a new era under head coach Pete Golding.

The Rebels return Chambliss, who has an argument as the best quarterback in college football entering the season. They also return star running back Kewan Lacy and maintain continuity defensively with Golding already in place.

The biggest question is offense without Kiffin.

Ole Miss hired former East Carolina offensive coordinator John David Baker after he helped lead one of the nation’s better attacks last season. East Carolina finished No. 19 nationally in total offense and No. 24 in scoring.

If Baker unlocks the talent already on the roster, Ole Miss may avoid the criticism Finebaum gave last year. Because the Rebels no longer want to be viewed as a dangerous playoff team.

They want to be viewed as a legitimate championship contender.