How Can Ole Miss Reach 12-Team College Football Playoff? ESPN Explains

How can the Ole Miss Rebels reach the newly-expanded 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024?

The Ole Miss Rebels are one of the trendiest picks to be a beneficiary from the College Football Playoff's expansion to 12 teams this season, and they seem to have a legitimate path to competing for both an SEC and national title in 2024.

With that in mind, ESPN recently detailed how each of its spring top 25 members can reach the new-look playoff this fall. The Rebels come in at No. 6 in the publication's rankings (already a positive sign for their chances), but what must take place for Ole Miss to turn this dream into a reality?

A lot of it boils down to defense.

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This story promotes the belief that in order for the Rebels to impress the CFP committee this season, they need to show "Defensive improvement that contributes to owning the back half of the schedule and earning a statement win." You can read an excerpt from the piece below.

"Ole Miss has been like the Penn State of the SEC -- dominating lesser competition but falling short against the teams it needs to beat to win the league. Last year, the Rebels beat everyone but Alabama and Georgia. In 2022, they started out 8-1 but unraveled down the stretch. The program has improved each season under Lane Kiffin, but the Rebels likely have to finish with a winning record against LSU, Oklahoma and Georgia for a playoff bid."

Ironic, isn't it? Ole Miss just won a marquee game over Penn State in December in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, but the analysis is largely true: both programs have experienced a stark upturn in trajectory in recent seasons, but they have not been able to get over the hump in their respective conferences.

Well, that could change this season.

While the Rebels are scheduled to host the Georgia Bulldogs this fall, they will not face one of the frequent thorns in their side in the form of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Even though Nick Saban is no longer calling the shots in Tuscaloosa, that is a welcome omission from any schedule in the Southeastern Conference, at least for the foreseeable future.

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Lane Kiffin & Co. also don't have to worry about winning the SEC West anymore because, well, it doesn't exist. The league is scrapping its division model beginning in 2024 with the addition of the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners to the mix, so a 10- or 11-win season would likely do the trick for the Rebels, if they come over the right opponents.

It also helps that Ole Miss is returning a ton of talent off of an 11-win roster from 2023, and it has added stout talent in the transfer portal...notably on defense. 

Walter Nolen (Texas A&M) and Princely Umanmielen headline the additions for Pete Golding's side of the ball, and they will be looking to ensure that the Rebels' defense can keep up with its productive offense when the season begins in August.