For better or worse, college football is a game of consistency, with specific programs dominating year in and year out.

Teams like Georgia and Alabama rarely faced real challenges in the era when only four schools advanced each year to compete on the biggest stage in January.

Since the introduction of the 12-team playoff, college football competition has leveled out significantly, allowing other programs to make a push for the limelight.

While Ohio State rose above the rest in the first iteration of the 12-team CFP in 2024, the first insight into what the new bracket style could do was on full display.

Boise State's Ashton Jeanty became a national star as his Broncos earned the third seed and a bye into the second round, something the small but powerful program from Idaho would likely not have been granted in years prior.

It became all too common that teams found incredible success and came out empty-handed, most notably with Florida State's undefeated season and late injury to quarterback Jordan Travis seeing them fall short of the 4-team playoff.

2025 offered a clearer view of the chaos and intrigue a larger-scale playoff could create, with Curt Cignetti's Indiana miraculously winning a national title after years in the gutter of the Big Ten, Miami returning to national prominence and the Ole Miss Rebels shooting up to the national stage.

Given how chaotic the first two seasons of the 12-team College Football Playoff have been, it seems likely that the 2026 edition will be even more unpredictable. With five of the nation's top eight falling in Week 7 and the playoffs inching closer, Ole Miss is in prime position to push not only for a top seed but also for a national championship.

Is There a Real Frontrunner in 2026?

With seven weeks down, no school has yet announced itself to the nation as the team to beat. Texas made a push earlier, especially in its brilliant comeback victory over Ohio State, then saw two losses consecutively to Oklahoma and Florida, respectively. Georgia, as always, has been near the top of the AP Poll all season, but after falling at home to a lackluster Auburn team, are the Bulldogs anywhere near the caliber fans expect them to be?

Even Miami, the 2025 runner-up and the team to defeat the Rebels in their push for eternal glory, still has unanswered questions. While Ole Miss has defeated three ranked opponents (at the time of the game), Miami has yet to play a ranked opponent this campaign. Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney form one of the nation's more fearsome tandems, but who has Miami played that proves they are for real?

While Wake Forest is now 17th in the AP Poll, Miami overcame them while they were unranked, with Miami only facing off with the even more debatably high-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who are No.4 despite being an independent, playing questionable competition and dropping to BYU in their first real matchup of the year.

Let's call it what it is: the NCAA and fans alike are begging for someone to become the team to beat. Why can't it be Ole Miss?

Why Not The Rebels? The Benefits and Drawbacks of the SEC

Whether still rattled by the Florida loss or not, national media has begun to respect the Rebels after their dominant win over Missouri on Saturday. With the usual suspects, Georgia, Alabama and Texas, each stumbling in the SEC this week, Ole Miss can make up serious ground in its climb to an SEC title and national glory.

Once you get a taste of the playoffs, it is incredibly hard to be satisfied with, say, the Reliaquest Bowl. Not that there is all that much wrong with going 9-3 and making one of the best non-playoff postseason games, but after coming within one play of a shot at the national championship, Ole Miss and Pete Golding will not be happy with anything other than being one of the last 12 teams with something to play for.

With just one loss, a suspect Texas game ahead and Georgia looming, Ole Miss has a rather straightforward path to a one-or-two-loss campaign: beat the reeling Longhorns, and you have room to work with. If you fall in Austin, you must win out.

With Trinidad Chambliss fighting well for the Heisman Trophy, Kewan Lacy returning to full strength and the Rebels' defense gaining an identity, the sky is the limit for Ole Miss. With a level of parity never seen before in a single college football season, the Rebels have a great shot at heading to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas this January to play for a national championship.

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