Ole Miss lost some margin for error in Gainesville.
But look at what the Rebels still have in front of them.
LSU is already on the résumé. Vanderbilt is next. And Texas, Georgia and Oklahoma are still waiting down the road.
Ole Miss doesn’t have to go searching for big games.
They’re coming.
It Starts With Vanderbilt
Before anybody starts worrying about playoff rankings or what might happen later in the season, Ole Miss has to respond.
That starts in Nashville.
The bye week gives Pete Golding and his staff time to address what went wrong against Florida, particularly against the run.
Ole Miss can’t give up 300-plus rushing yards and expect to survive the schedule ahead.
Offensively, there’s reason to feel good about where things are headed.
As long as Trinidad Chambliss is playing at this level, Ole Miss has an offense capable of winning big games.
Now the Rebels need the rest of the team to match it.
The Big Games Are Coming
After Vanderbilt and Missouri, Ole Miss gets into the part of the schedule that could shape everything.
At Texas. Auburn at home. Georgia at home. At Oklahoma.
That’s a serious stretch.
It’s also an opportunity.
Ole Miss already has LSU on the résumé. Now the Rebels will get more chances to add the kind of wins that matter when the CFP conversation gets serious.
Win those kinds of games and Ole Miss won’t have to spend much time explaining Florida.
That’s the good part about this schedule.
The Rebels still have opportunities to make their case on the field.
Don’t Make Florida Bigger Than It Is
One loss doesn’t have to become the story of the season.
Ole Miss doesn’t need to spend October worrying about what one Saturday in Gainesville did to its playoff chances.
Respond.
Beat Vanderbilt.
Keep stacking wins.
And be ready when Texas and Georgia arrive.
The opportunities are coming.
Florida changed the margin for error.
It didn’t close the door.
Ole Miss’ CFP path is still right there.
