SEC Shake-Up: Florida ends LSU playoff hopes; Ole Miss holds advantage

The chaos in the SEC standings became a little less chaotic Saturday.

Florida’s 27-16 win against No. 22 LSU removed one of the five SEC schools with two conference losses (and also took the Tigers out of contention for a playoff spot). Saturday night’s game between No. 7 Tennessee and No. 12 Georgia could also help ease the chaos, or add to it if the Bulldogs win.

The Gators’ win against LSU presents a potentially unique situation for No. 11 Ole Miss and the College Football Playoff committee. The Rebels travel to Gainesville, Fla. next week and will be the favorites to win. Should that happen you’ll have a trio of teams with wins against each other (LSU beat Ole Miss, Florida beat LSU and Ole Miss beats Florida).

LSU DROPS ITS THIRD GAME IN A ROW 😲

BILLY NAPIER'S FLORIDA TAKES DOWN LSU IN THE SWAMP 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3pCnlr3J7d

— ESPN (@espn) November 17, 2024

How would the committee then look at the Rebels’ loss to LSU? Would the loss not matter as much? Or would it hurt the Rebels’ in the playoff rankings?

With two weeks left in the regular season, including some important games today, who plays for the SEC championship is still wide open, let alone who will make the 12-team playoff.

Right now, the Rebels are in the playoff but are in the same position as LSU before Saturday. With two conference losses, Ole Miss can’t afford another one. But the schedule is favorable to Ole Miss.

The Rebels are favorites to win their final two games against Florida and Mississippi State. But the Gators just showed why they should be taken seriously (and why Billy Napier is keeping his job) and Mississippi State is always a threat even if it only has two wins.

So, yes, Ole Miss is winning this week without playing. But it’ll be the last time they can sit at home and win this season.