ESPN Reveals How Rebels Can Make College Football Playoff in 2023

How can Ole Miss reach the College Football Playoff in 2023?

Can the Ole Miss Rebels take the next step under Lane Kiffin this fall?

That was the focus of a story from ESPN last week that analyzed how each team in its way-too-early top 25 can reach the College Football Playoff this season. Kiffin has brought the Rebels to new heights quickly during his tenure, but a slow finish to the 2022 season halted some of the momentum in Oxford.

Here's what ESPN had to say about the Rebels' chances to reach the playoff in 2023.

20.

Ole Miss Rebels

Granted, Ole Miss hasn't won an SEC championship since 1963, which is typically a must (but not always) if an SEC team is going make the playoff. The Rebels won 10 regular-season games as recently as two years ago, so they were at least swimming in those waters during Lane Kiffin's second season in Oxford. To take that next step in 2023, the Rebels will need transfer quarterback

Spencer Sanders

to stay healthy and play at the same level he did in 2021, when he earned first-team All-Big 12 honors at

Oklahoma State

. Ole Miss has added some offensive firepower in the transfer portal, and

Quinshon Judkins

led the SEC in rushing a year ago as a freshman. The second "if" revolves around first-year defensive coordinator Pete Golding. The Rebels need to find a way to be better against the run, keep opposing offenses off the field and give that offense a few more possessions per game. Even then, it would take an incredible season to even be in the playoff conversation. The Rebels have road games at Alabama and at Georgia. --

Low

This is, of course, assuming that Sanders wins the impending quarterback battle for the Rebels this offseason. The Oklahoma State transfer will face off against incumbent starter Jaxson Dart and LSU transfer Walker Howard for that position, and anything is far from certain as spring practice approaches.

The Rebels will open their 2023 season at home against the Mercer Bears in September.

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You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.

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