Can Lane Kiffin's 'Best Ole Miss Team' Appear in SEC Title Game? CFB Analyst Predicts

Will the Ole Miss Rebels be able to pave their way to Atlanta this season?

Jul 15, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin speaking at Omni Dallas Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports

The Ole Miss Rebels are on a mission in 2024, but just how far can they go this season?

The Rebels are largely considered to be a legitimate challenger for the College Football Playoff, but as the season nears, more and more analysts around college football are beginning to think they can appear the SEC Championship Game as well, a mark that Ole Miss has never reached since the game's advent in 1992.

Add J.D. PicKell to that list. Recently, the analyst stated that he thinks the "best team Lane Kiffin has ever had" will make enough noise to make it to Atlanta in December. Of course, it helps that Ole Miss doesn't have to face the likes of Alabama or Texas, but an SEC title appearance would be huge for the fans in Oxford.

First, however, PicKell pointed out a team that he thinks Ole Miss will lose to in the regular season: the Georgia Bulldogs.

"I just think (Georgia) is built to make a run, man," PicKell said. "I don't think Georgia will have a game where they are out-talented from a roster perspective. ... I think (Georgia) ends up finding their way into the SEC title game unbeaten. I think they'll play their best football in November and peak at the right time."

Georgia will certainly be talented again this season, but it will have to meet someone in Atlanta, if it fulfills PicKell's prediction. That's where Ole Miss comes in.

“Now, who do they meet in Atlanta?" PicKell asked. "Is it Texas? Is it ‘Bama? I could see that. But you know who I actually see in the SEC title game? Ole Miss just chilling there with one loss. ... I think they only lose to Georgia and find themselves in a rematch in the conference title game."

An appearance in Atlanta would almost secure a CFP berth for the Rebels, even if they lost again to Georgia in this scenario. These games alone would make the 2024 season one of the biggest (if not the biggest) in Ole Miss history.

The Rebels will open their season at home against the FCS Furman Paladins on Aug. 31.