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Paul Finebaum: Ole Miss is in a really difficult spot after loss to Georgia

On3 imageby: Dan Morrison14 hours agodan_morrison96
Paul Finebaum
Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Ole Miss went into Athens and dropped its first game of the season in a thrilling shootout to Georgia. In the era of the expanded College Football Playoff, that one loss isn’t going to immediately cost the Rebels a spot in the postseason. However, there is still some reason to be concerned.

On the Sunday following the game, Paul Finebaum appeared on The Matt Barrie Show. There, he explained that Ole Miss is actually in a difficult spot now. That’s because they have another tough road trip next week, playing at Oklahoma. There, they risk stubbing their toe for a second time.

“Well, they’re in a really difficult spot here,” Paul Finebaum said. “Because I think my schedule is correct early in the morning. I think they go to Oklahoma this week. That’s a team that was in dire straits yesterday, but somehow South Carolina is making a lot of programs feel better about themselves this year… So, I don’t know what to make out of that because everybody was kind of moving around, and you were watching that game more closely than I was.”

There are now just two teams unbeaten in SEC play moving forward. That’s Texas A&M and Alabama. Ole Miss won’t play either one of them, so getting to the SEC Championship is likely going to require some help while also being perfect. Of course, a one-loss team in the SEC is still almost certainly going to go to the College Football Playoff. The problem is that Finebaum is concerned they could suffer another loss at Oklahoma, which would put their backs against the wall.

“To me, it just seems like winning in Norman is going to be problematic for them. Then, I’m trying to think in my head, their schedule is going to be okay. But they’re in an awkward spot if they drop two in a row,” Finebaum said. “They’re going to be playing with no more house money for the rest of the season.”

This is only the second season of the 12-team College Football Playoff. So, there are still some questions about how it’s going to work out when the selection committee gets together. However, a year ago, multiple three-loss SEC teams missed out on the field. That group included Ole Miss. So, avoiding ending up in that situation where the decision is left up to the committee looking at multiple similar resumes is going to be massive for the Rebels.

Before Ole Miss can worry about the Playoff, they need to focus on Oklahoma. Kickoff is currently scheduled for 12:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, October 25th.