Watching Ole Miss and its fans celebrate a thrilling 32-24 win over Lane Kiffin's LSU Tigers in perhaps the most anticipated regular season game in Mississippi history, two questions popped into my head.
Is Ole Miss the best team in the country?
Why can't this be sustainable?
For question No. 1, I voted the Rebels as my No. 1 team in the CBS Sports 138 rankings. Ole Miss finished No. 4 in those but surely could move up even higher if it can beat Florida on the road this weekend.
The latter question is the more interesting one to tackle. It was, after all, at the crux of Ole Miss' argument to keep Kiffin last season as he pondered what he ultimately viewed as more promising situations elsewhere. The support was there, both institutionally and from the fanbase, to keep the success rolling for years to come. As one rival program executive told CBS Sports, no one was getting better bang for their buck on NIL and revenue share spending than Ole Miss. Ultimately, Kiffin believed the grass was greener in Baton Rouge. He had been alive to see LSU win national championships with three different coaches and believed he could be the fourth.
Why can't Pete Golding keep it going, though? He's 5-1 as a head coach including four wins over top-25 opponents. He won't always have a star like Trinidad Chambliss to rescue Ole Miss in its moments of need, but John David Baker's offense will be attractive to quarterbacks. The future still looks bright for former five-star quarterback recruit Deuce Knight, too.
With Golding, the roster spending should be a bit more balanced -- it could be hard for Lane to resist adding another offensive weapon -- and give Ole Miss the depth to compete deep into a season. Golding was always Kiffin's best recruiter on staff and should allow Ole Miss to continue recruiting at an elite level. Ole Miss signed the No. 2-rated transfer portal class last cycle and currently has the No. 14 high school class for 2027.
College football is changing. Indiana has already proven that. You don't have to be a traditional blue blood to build a consistent winner anymore. With the right people in place and the right amount of money, anything is possible now.
Lane Kiffin elevated the standard at Ole Miss. He went 55-19 over six seasons and took the program to three New Year's Six bowls. The program finally broke through a year ago, earned a home playoff game and made it all the way to a national semifinal. It is very early into the 2026 season, but Ole Miss is again on pace to make the College Football Playoff.
There is real momentum around the Ole Miss program right now. And with each passing day of the new Pete Golding era, it looks more and more like the start of a trend than an aberration.
No. 1 Texas 3-0 (SEC champion)
The Longhorns have the best win in the country over Ohio State, which lands them the top seed in our newest projections. Still, there are concerns around Arch Manning and a Texas team that did not impress last week against UTSA. A road trip to a good Tennessee team this weekend will either kick Texas up into another gear or kick it down next week's projections. Previous: 5
No. 2 Ohio State 2-1 (Big Ten champion)
Even with the loss to Texas, I haven't moved off Ohio State as my pick to win the Big Ten. The Buckeyes should have won the game, and while the collapse is concerning, the talent is still there. This week should be a good tune-up ahead of a tricky Oct. 3 road trip to Iowa. Previous: 4
No. 3 Miami 3-0 (ACC champion)
The Hurricanes look like the class of the ACC and have an easy one coming up against Central Michigan. Darian Mensah is going to be in the Heisman Trophy conversation all season if he keeps his performance up. Miami's soft schedule requires it to go unscathed to end up this high in the final CFP rankings. Previous: 3
No. 4 Ole Miss 3-0
The Rebels are riding high after a cathartic 32-24 win over Lane Kiffin in his return to Oxford. Ole Miss has two top-25 wins now, including the season-opener over Louisville, and one of the best resumes in the country. Ole Miss has a gauntlet of an upcoming schedule starting this weekend on the road to a Florida team that is a 3.5-point favorite. Previous: 6
No. 5 Georgia 3-0
The Bulldogs have done everything they've been asked to do against easy competition (sorry, Arkansas) through three weeks. It should get a bit harder this weekend against a slumping Oklahoma team that was a popular preseason playoff pick but has since fallen out of the top 25. The Bulldogs are still a great option to win the SEC, which would bump them up higher from No. 5. Previous: 2
No. 6 Notre Dame 3-0
Notre Dame's win over Michigan State was perfectly fine, but the Fighting Irish's issue this season could be a lack of quality wins. Right now, I like Notre Dame to split its two big games -- Oct 17th against BYU and Nov 7 against Miami -- slotting it into this spot. If ND could win both, it'd be in range for a first-round bye. Lose both? We may get a repeat of last year, when Notre Dame was right on the cusp, only to be the first team left out. Previous: 1
No. 7 Indiana 3-0
It's hard to discern much about this Indiana team until it gets to the heart of its schedule. The Hoosiers look good, sure, but the wins have come over North Texas, Howard and Western Kentucky. The real tests come in mid-October when Indiana plays Ohio State and Michigan in back-to-back weeks. If the Hoosiers can split those two games, they'll be in good position to make the playoff for a third consecutive season. Previous: 7
No. 8 Texas Tech 3-0 (Big 12 champion)
The Red Raiders held off a good Houston team to remain in the driver's seat to win the Big 12. Texas Tech fell down 10-0 early but battled its way back and just barely stopped Houston's two-point conversion attempt to win in regulation. On paper at least, Houston will be the toughest opponent Texas Tech will play all season until a potential Big 12 Championship. Previous: 10
No. 9 Alabama 3-0
Alabama has started slow in its last two games, but has found a way to turn it on in the second half for double-digit wins. Is that the mark of a resilient team or one that is going to get burned when the competition gets tougher? We'll get our answer soon once Alabama starts a five-game stretch at Mississippi State, Georgia, at Tennessee, Texas A&M and at LSU. Previous: NR
No. 10 BYU 3-0
Welcome to the playoff, BYU. The Cougars look like legitimate Big 12 title contenders after a 3-0 start, including a win over Arizona. In what appears to be a very manageable schedule, BYU's playoff hopes could hinge on how it fares against Notre Dame and Utah. Right now, at least, it looks like the Big 12 will get two teams while the ACC will only get one. Previous: NR
No. 11 LSU 2-1
The Tigers came up just short in Oxford in Lane Kiffin's emotional return to his former home. The big question coming out of that game, especially with top tight end Trey'Dez Green injured, is Sam Leavitt good enough to carry this team to the playoff? He looked skittish at times against a ferocious Rebels defensive line, rushing throws and looking to move out of the pocket quickly. He'll need to be better this weekend against an increasingly important home game against Texas A&M. Previous: 9
No. 12 Boise State 2-1
A close loss to Oregon and a win over Memphis puts Boise State into the Group of 6 automatic bid. The Broncos have a veteran QB and an underrated head coach who can navigate the hurdles to come. In what is a stacked slate of games, Boise State-Western Michigan is one you'll want to watch this weekend. Previous: NR
Just missed the cut: Penn State, Louisville, Tennessee, USC and Utah
First round
Dec. 18-19 at higher seeds
No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Georgia
No. 11 LSU at No. 6 Notre Dame
No. 10 BYU at No. 7 Indiana
No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Texas Tech
Quarterfinal matchups
Dec. 30 in Glendale, Ariz., Jan. 1 in Atlanta, Arlington, Texas, and Pasadena, Calif.
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 9 Alabama/No. 8 Texas Tech winner
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 10 BYU/No. 7 Indiana winner
No. 3 Miami vs. No. 11 LSU/No. 6 Notre Dame winner
No. 4 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Boise State/No. 5 Georgia winner
Semifinal matchups
Jan. 14 in Miami and Jan. 15 in New Orleans
No. 1 Texas/No. 9 Alabama/No. 8 Texas Tech winner vs. No. 4 Ole Miss/No. 12 Boise State/No. 5 Georgia winner
No. 2 Ohio State/No. 10 BYU/No. 7 Indiana winner vs. No. 3 Miami/No. 11 LSU/No. 6 Notre Dame winner
