For all of Ole Miss ' success under coach Lane Kiffin, Rebels fans have grown used to a familiar refrain: close, but no cigar. Time and again, they've been painfully close to breaking through to the College Football Playoff.

The Rebels arguably should have done it last year when they started 4-0 with five eventual top-100 NFL Draft picks, including record-setting quarterback Jaxson Dart. They brushed against the playoff in 2023, too, when they won 11 games but failed to beat Alabama and Georgia .

This year feels different. In spite of heavy personnel losses and minimal preseason hype, Ole Miss looked every bit like a contender in Week 5 by dominating No. 4 LSU in a statement win .

It was a victory that underscored the depth and development Kiffin has built in Oxford. Ole M

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