Thinking about Ole Miss’ last loss against Kentucky is like rubbing salt on a fresh wound! How could a 15 ½-point favorite team lose to an unranked underdog who entered the game with a 2-2 record? Lane Kiffin and the Rebels recorded one of the best season entries with a 76-0 blowout win against Furman. Their following three games also proclaimed their dominance as they finished with 144-22. But that Kentucky loss not only demoted their relevance but also led to mistrust.

Given what happened at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, is it possible that the team has become too complacent? CFB analyst Brian Jones let out his frustration on Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss in his appearance on CBS Sports College Football in an X post on October 2. He said, “They do this every year. They stack that schedule, it’s front-loaded with cupcakes. And then when it’s time to take on a team that’s comparable to their ability… they lose.” 

If you look at the schedule of Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin since 2020, you’ll see the majority of wins, but there are always these losses that come from competitive teams that challenge their abilities. Four dominant winning streaks could’ve chilled the Rebels a bit which led to this unexpected 20-17 loss to the Wildcats. 

But let’s be kind to Lane Kiffin who, like all of us, didn’t foresee this damage to their four pristine winning streaks. In his post-game speech, he regretted their inability to seize the highly possible chance to win and called his first SEC game of the season “beyond disappointing.” And now that we saw how Ole Miss would handle competitive opponents, a playoff spot could be a tough challenge to fight for, because they’re stacked with tougher opponents down the road. 

Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss’ playoff odds fall

It just took one loss to an underdog to push Ole Miss’ playoff odds from 79 percent to 48 percent, as per The Athletic. Their fall to Kentucky in Week 5 also demoted their AP Poll ranking from No. 6 to No. 12. Still, QB Jaxson Dart keeps the spirit up as he said, “We’ve got a lot more opportunities. One game’s not going to define the whole year, but at the same time, you better make the most of the rest of your opportunities.” 

Indeed, the upcoming games are going to be crucial in deciding their playoff destiny. They’re still yet to meet the three ranked teams in their schedule this season – No. 13 LSU, No. 19 Oklahoma, and No. 5 Georgia. But focusing on the immediate game ahead against the South Carolina Gamecocks on October 5, the Rebels are a 9-point to win per several prediction outlets. Still, anything could happen. Any more losses and Lane Kiffin might not recover to make it to the playoffs despite the dominance in their wins.