As the 2025 college football season reaches Week 5, several programs are aiming to maintain their strong performance and pursue their first College Football Playoff appearance.
One notable team is the No. 13 Ole Miss Rebels (4-0). The Rebels are coached by Lane Kiffin and have achieved double-digit wins in three of the last four seasons. However, they have yet to overcome the final hurdle and qualify for the playoffs.
This season could be different for Ole Miss. However, on “See Ball, Get Ball with David Pollack,” Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt expressed skepticism about the Rebels so far this season.
“I think Ole Miss is overrated,” Klatt said. “I think they’re more like, South Carolina was overrated for a time for the preseason until they got beat. Ole Miss is not as good as they were a year ago.”
Rebels Struggle Against Lower SEC Competition
Klatt’s skepticism stems from his disappointment in Ole Miss’ performance this year. He noted that Ole Miss struggled to secure wins against the Kentucky Wildcats and the Arkansas Razorbacks.
The Rebels defeated Kentucky 30-23, even though the Wildcats were viewed as one of the weakest teams in the conference. They then suffered a 41-35 loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks, another team believed to be at the bottom of the standings. In that game, Arkansas advanced into Ole Miss territory, aiming for a winning touchdown, but they fumbled the ball.
Quarterback Shift: Chambliss Steps In
While those performances haven’t been great, one of the biggest bright spots is at quarterback. The Rebels entered the year with Austin Simmons at the helm. However, he’s battled an injury, throwing for just 580 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions.
Simmons was replaced by Trinidad Chambliss after sustaining an injury. Chambliss has performed exceptionally well, throwing for 719 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing for 195 yards and scoring two additional touchdowns. His impressive performance seems to have secured him the starting position, as Simmons is no longer listed on the availability report this week. However, Chambliss has still reportedly been named the starter.
Can Ole Miss Prove They Belong?
Ole Miss still has time to prove doubters wrong, but shaky wins over lower-tier SEC opponents have left analysts unconvinced. The emergence of Chambliss gives the Rebels fresh energy at quarterback, yet consistency will be key if they want to remain in the playoff conversation.
Kiffin’s team has built a reputation for winning regular-season games; now the challenge is proving they can win the ones that truly matter. Whether they silence Klatt’s doubts may define their season.