In a significant boost for the programme, the University of Mississippi Rebels have secured the No. 6 spot in the final weekly College Football Playoff rankings. This move all but guarantees that Ole Miss will host its first-ever CFP game on either December 19 or 20, a historic moment for the team and its fans.
A New Era Begins in Oxford
The news arrives on the heels of a major coaching upheaval. The Rebels' 38-19 victory over in-state rivals Mississippi State Bulldogs on Friday was the last game under head coach Lane Kiffin, who has since officially departed for LSU. Stepping into the breach for the playoff will be newly promoted head coach Pete Golding, who will lead the team against an opponent yet to be determined.
Remarkably, the selection committee opted not to penalise Ole Miss for the high-profile loss of their coach just days before the rankings were finalised. This decision underscores the strength of the Rebels' season record and their position within the newly expanded 12-team playoff format.
Controversy at the Bubble: Alabama Overtakes Notre Dame
While Ole Miss's ascent was straightforward, the committee's most debated decision involved a switch between two college football giants. Alabama moved up one place to No. 9, at the expense of Notre Dame, which fell to No. 10. Both teams hold identical 10-2 records.
Committee chair Hunter Yurachek described the Alabama-Notre Dame debate as "one of the strongest debates we've had in the room" during his tenure. He cited Alabama's 27-20 road win against archrival Auburn as a key factor, judging the Tigers a tougher opponent than Stanford, whom Notre Dame beat 49-20. "That was enough to change the minds of a couple committee members," Yurachek stated.
This crucial ranking boost gives Alabama a stronger chance to secure a playoff berth even if they lose to Georgia in the SEC championship game this Saturday. For Notre Dame, despite a 10-game winning streak earlier in the season, their position is now precarious, though they remain ahead of No. 12 Miami, who beat them in the season opener.
The Full Playoff Picture and Automatic Bid Drama
The final rankings, released on Sunday, set the stage for the inaugural 12-team playoff. At the top, undefeated Ohio State and Indiana held firm at numbers 1 and 2 ahead of their Big Ten title clash. Georgia moved up to third, with Texas Tech completing the top four.
The rest of the top 12 is: Oregon (5), Mississippi (6), Texas A&M (7), Oklahoma (8), Alabama (9), Notre Dame (10), BYU (11), and Miami (12).
Beyond the top tier, a major storyline involves the battle for automatic qualifying spots. The committee's decision to place James Madison at No. 25—above an unranked Duke team playing for the ACC title—could have massive implications. If both James Madison (playing Troy for the Sun Belt title) and Duke win their respective conference championships, James Madison could potentially deny the ACC one of the five automatic bids reserved for the highest-ranked conference champions.
The SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12 are expected to claim automatic spots, while the American Athletic Conference (with No. 20 Tulane and No. 24 North Texas) appears poised to secure the Group of 5's automatic bid. This leaves the fifth and final automatic qualifier to be contested between the ACC and the Sun Belt, adding high-stakes drama to this weekend's championship games.
The College Football Playoff is scheduled to begin on December 19, culminating in the national championship game a month later outside Miami.
