Ole Miss stays put at No. 18 in AP poll amid hectic college football weekend

Ole Miss (5-2, 1-2 SEC) has remained at No. 18 in the latest poll from the Associated Press amid a wild weekend of college football.

The Rebels looked to nurse a relatively banged-up roster to health during the bye week after a tough road loss at LSU last Saturday. A full recap of that contest can be found here.

Since conference play began, Lane Kiffin’s top-10 scoring offense has been slowed. Ole Miss averaged 55 points per game in its first four contests — all against non-conference foes. The scoring was cut by more than half in the following three matchups with the Rebels only mustering up an average of just over 24 points.

As the offense has struggled in SEC play, with the deficiencies being magnified in the trenches, Pete Golding’s defense has done its part to keep Ole Miss in each game. The Rebels’ defense has surrendered just 17 points per game against conference counterparts, and has been especially effective in stopping the run. Ole Miss currently boasts the No. 1 rushing defense in the nation.

Unfortunately for Kiffin and company, the positives on the defense have been overshadowed by the Rebels’ poor offensive line play and mostly stagnant ground attack. The offensive woes, and arguably a few questionable coaching decisions, have resulted in one of the most talented teams in Ole Miss history having two losses on its résumé through seven games.

Though the Rebels’ chances of making a debut in the expanded College Football Playoff are slim, Ole Miss is not quite dead in the water yet. Kiffin’s crew, led by veteran quarterback Jaxson Dart and the nation’s top wide receiver, Tre Harris, will more than likely have to win out to even sniff a chance at vying for a national championship.

Ole Miss’ pursuit to go undefeated the rest of the way will start back on Saturday against a struggling Oklahoma bunch at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The contest will begin at 11 a.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN as well as participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations. Betting lines for the game opened with the Rebels favored by 18.5 points.

As for the college football landscape as a whole, Saturday was filled with drama. Miami survived a scare at Louisville and took home a 52-45 win as Hurricane quarterback Cam Ward continues his Heisman campaign. Teams from the state of Tennessee garnered a winning streak against Alabama this season. The Tennessee Volunteers took down the Crimson Tide 24-17 in Knoxville just two weeks after Vanderbilt upset Kalen DeBoer’s squad 40-35 in Nashville.

The biggest game of the day, Georgia at Texas, resulted in an unexpected two-score victory for the Bulldogs to cap an eventful slate of matchups.

The full top 25 can be found below: