OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss dropped one spot to No. 7 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday night, despite improving to 9-1 for the first time in 63 years.
The Rebels rolled past The Citadel, 49-0, last week but were leapfrogged by Texas Tech, which beat BYU in a matchup of Top 10 playoff teams.
If the season ended today, Ole Miss would host Texas in the opening round.
Still, the Rebels are not looking too far ahead. With games remaining against Florida and rival Mississippi State, Ole Miss knows there’s plenty left to play for.
“We’re just ignoring it,” junior wide receiver Cayden Lee said. “We’re not listening to any outside noise. We’re just focused on what we have here in the building and how we can go 1-0 after this Saturday.”
Lee, one of the few returning offensive starters from last year’s team, said the Rebels’ approach has matured after the disappointment of missing the playoff a season ago.
“Being one of the few players that came back, we have a whole different mindset than we did last year,” he said. “Our mentality is going 1-0 each and every week. Nothing else matters. The playoffs, that will come. Maybe it won’t, maybe it will. We’re just focused on going 1-0 every week.”
The focus will be tested Saturday when Ole Miss hosts Florida, a team that upset the Rebels last season in Gainesville and spoiled what could have been the school’s first playoff appearance.
“They’re coached really well,” Lee said. “I feel like they have a lot of good players, a lot of talented players. They’re going to play really good defense, but hopefully we’ll just trust our game plan and do what we need to do to win.”
Florida seeks to rebound as Ole Miss stays grounded
Florida has lost three of its last four games and fired head coach Billy Napier in mid-October.
The Gators still rank among the SEC’s top four in both red-zone offense (92.6 percent) and red-zone defense (77.6 percent).
“Can’t speak too much for last year’s team now, but maybe we just went in there a little too high, a little too confident,” Lee said. “This year we have a really good mindset going in the game. We’re really locked in.”
Lee said the Rebels have shown improvement since early-season inconsistencies. “We were kind of up and down at times through the previous season,” he said. “I still don’t feel like we’ve played our best game offensively and defensively. But we’ve really changed things and we’re trending upwards right now.”
Lee has emerged as one of the steady voices in the locker room. He was the Rebels’ second-leading receiver behind Tre Harris last season, finishing without a single drop in 49 targets.
Through 10 games this year, Lee ranks fourth in receiving yards (412) and fifth in receptions (22), tied with running back Kewan Lacy.
“I feel like it just comes from what happened last year,” Lee said. “Had a pretty good season last year. I feel like it’s almost kind of a respect, but as long as our guys on the outside are eating, then it doesn’t matter to me. As long as we win at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who’s getting the ball.”
Chambliss continues to lead efficient Ole Miss offense
Lee also credited quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, a Division II transfer from Ferris State, for his composure and leadership.
Chambliss has thrown for more than 300 yards and rushed for at least 50 in four games this season — the second-most such games by an SEC quarterback in the last 30 years.
Only former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, who had six during his 2023 Heisman Trophy season, has more.
“It’s amazing,” Lee said. “Someone that’s able to come into such a big atmosphere and just take it day by day, not ride the waves of everything. Just kind of be steady throughout it all has been really impressive.”
Chambliss was still on the field Tuesday night after practice, Lee said, working to refine his throws and timing with the receivers.
Saturday’s game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium is trending toward a sellout. The cheapest tickets are already listed for hundreds of dollars.
“Our fans are probably one of the best fans in the nation,” Lee said. “They’re going to come out and pack the Vault. Starts with the Walk of Champions. They’re going to pack that out, too. And it’s going to be a really amazing atmosphere.”
Key takeaways
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Ole Miss dropped to No. 7 in the College Football Playoff rankings despite a 9-1 record.
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Cayden Lee said the team is focused on staying grounded ahead of its matchup with Florida.
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Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss continues to impress with his consistency and leadership.
