According to Rece Davis, the SEC’s power structure is shifting. Ole Miss sits undefeated, but they’re not alone. Missouri, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, and Texas A&M have surprised everyone with flawless starts. But traditional powerhouses have faltered. Alabama dropped an opener to FSU before taking down Georgia. Then Texas fell to OSU, and LSU just fell to the Rebels. Parity may be taking hold. Now, with the SEC moving to a nine-game schedule, no team is untouchable, and any squad can rise or fall on any given weekend. For Lane Kiffin, his focus is on the upcoming game against the Bulldogs.

On the September 3 episode of See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack, Davis weighed in on the SEC’s top teams. When Pollack asked, “Who’s the best team in the SEC?” Davis admitted, “I don’t know. It might be, look, I know Ole Miss is going to get mad at me because a couple weeks ago, I still didn’t have them ranked. Because I was skeptical about them going into the season.” Then Davis continued, breaking down the Rebels’ early performances. “I saw them. I watched them play Arkansas. And I thought they were fortunate to get out of there with that one. But, you know what? They’re getting better and better. They’re certainly always dangerous,” stated Davis. And then Davis had high praise for Ole Miss’ HC.

“Lane’s an unbelievable offensive coach,” mentioned Davis, highlighting why the Rebels are a team to watch out for. Kiffin has built one of the FBS’ most explosive offenses since arriving at Ole Miss in 2020, averaging 503.7 YPG. Even in his first season, his Rebels put up 39 points and 555.5 YPG against a tough SEC slate. Then Davis weighed in on Ole Miss’ QB dilemma. Austin Simmons is the starter, but the backup, Trinidad Chambliss, has stolen the spotlight. Taking over for the sidelined Simmons, he’s racked up more than 1,000 passing yards and 5 TDs. And according to Davis, this guy has been putting up the numbers. But despite Chambliss’ impressive play, Davis remained hesitant to declare the Rebels the SEC’s best.

“It might be a&m. It might be Ole Miss. I don’t know,” he admitted. “I thought it was LSU for a while. It’s clearly not them.” Honestly, the uncertainty underscores just how wide open the conference is this season. “There are capable teams in the SEC. Teams that can win the national championship,” he said. But he’s not convinced there’s a true powerhouse. So, the conference could come down to who executes in the clutch. Now, with Ole Miss on the rise, Kiffin is laser-focused on the Georgia game, determined to keep the Rebels undefeated and on top of the SEC.

Lane Kiffin is already thinking of Georgia

Lane Kiffin is not wasting time on preparing for cupcake battles. That’s why the Rebels are already preparing for their Oct. 18 road clash against Georgia. “For us right now, we’re in here working on Georgia, but that’s not taking away from Washington State,” stated Kiffin, noting the Rebels have the talent to handle the Cougars at home and enter the Georgia game 6-0. But even with wins over Kentucky, LSU, and Arkansas, Kiffin says there’s room for improvement.

Ole Miss struggled with penalties and turnovers in their 24-19 win over LSU. They committed 14 penalties for 109 yards and lost two turnovers. “We’re working on ourselves, but then also we’re working on Georgia today,” added Kiffin. It is an almost completely new roster with only 4 returning starters. But the Rebels have uncovered a standout. QB Chambliss has stepped up in a big way, posting the 5th-highest QBR in the nation at 87.6. And his emergence gives Ole Miss a dynamic edge as they navigate a tough SEC schedule.

Still, Kiffin remains cautious. “We still have a lot of work to do,” he said. Ole Miss is using the bye week to get a jump on future opponents and stay atop the SEC. Now it’s time to wait and see if they can take down Kirby Smart’s squad.