Ole Miss and Mississippi State opened SEC play with a bang and stellar quarterback play. Because of that, the Rebels were able to move ahead in the rankings, and the Bulldogs made their AP Top 25 debut this season following wins over conference counterparts.
Starting in Oxford, Ole Miss (3-0, 1-0 SEC) moved up 4 spots to No. 4 after winning an emotional game against former head coach Lane Kiffin and his LSU Tigers. Trinidad Chambliss was masterful in the contest, completing 33 of 48 passes for 363 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an interception. His top target was Traylon Ray, who spent the bulk of the 2025-26 campaign in the secondary.
The Rebels led LSU 24-7 at halftime, but Kiiffin and company rebutted with a strong counter in the 3rd quarter. Ole Miss found itself in a tied ballgame early in the 4th quarter. With a record crowd behind the team’s back, the Rebels reclaimed the momentum on a 14-yard touchdown keeper by Chambliss. A gutsy 2-point attempt followed. LSU was drawn offside twice, allowing Ole Miss running back JT Lindsey to walk into the end zone. The Tigers didn’t immediately go away. Dual-threat quarterback Sam Leavitt moved LSU into the red zone. Yet, a 4th-down interception sealed the game in red and blue.
As for Mississippi State (3-0, 1-0 SEC), the Bulldogs came in at No. 24 in the poll following a comeback win at South Carolina. It’s the first time the team has been ranked since the end of the 2022 campaign. After falling behind 16-0, the Bulldogs stormed back to walk out of Williams-Brice Stadium as 41-34 victors.
Sensational Bulldog quarterback Kamario Taylor tossed for 251 yards and 4 touchdowns. The scoring throws were reeled in by a cornucopia of weapons, including Sanfrisco Magee, Zion Ragins, Marquis Johnson, and Anthony Evans. Lebby dialed up a little trickery and put the ball in wide receiver Gracen Harris’ hands to toss a touchdown pass to tight end Sam West. Bulldog running back Fluff Bothwell ran for a season-high 115 yards. Zach Arnett’s defense proved effective, forcing Gamecock quarterback LaNorris Sellers to throw a pair of interceptions on his side of the field in the second half.
The full top 25, which features a whopping 11 SEC teams, can be found below:
- Texas
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Ole Miss
- Indiana
- Miami
- Ohio State
- Alabama
- BYU
- LSU
- Texas Tech
- USC
- Penn State
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Louisville
- Iowa
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Oregon
- Florida
- SMU
- Texas A&M
- Mississippi State
- Houston
Ole Miss and Mississippi State will continue conference play this coming Saturday. The Rebels travel to Florida for a 2:30 p.m. CT matchup. The Bulldogs will host Missouri for a 6:45 p.m. CT contest. Both games can be listened to on participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.
