Ole Miss was one of the original members of the SEC, which has dominated college football in the 21st century, but the Rebels haven't always been winners on the national stage.
Over a 14-year stretch between the 1970s and 1980s, Ole Miss won six or fewer games each season. In the 2000s, the Rebels suffered four consecutive seasons or at least eight losses.
In the 2020s, success has found its way back to Oxford. Much of the credit belongs to Lane Kiffin, but the Rebels proved in the immediate aftermath of his departure for LSU that the program is much more than one man.
Here's what you need to know about Ole Miss' championship history and whether the Rebels have won a national title.
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Ole Miss football championship history
Has Ole Miss ever won a national championship?
Because of the strange, convoluted way college football crowned national champions in the past, the answer is not totally settled. Ole Miss claims three national championships: 1959, 1960 and 1962. However, the NCAA has only acknowledged the Rebels as a national champion once, in 1960. Ole Miss shares that title with Minnesota.
The AP Poll and United Press International Poll, the two major polls at the time, never recognized Ole Miss as a champion, as they ranked Minnesota above Ole Miss in 1960. After Minnesota lost the Rose Bowl, however, the Football Writers Association of America voted for the Rebels as the 1960 national champion.
Other NCAA-sanctioned selectors chose Ole Miss as the national champion in 1959 and 1962, though the AP and UPI Polls did not.
Simple enough, right?
When was Ole Miss' last national championship?
Ole Miss' most recent and only NCAA-recognized national championship came in 1960, though the program has a claim to a national title in 1962.
The Rebels finished 10-0-1 in 1960, settling for a 6-6 tie against LSU but otherwise carving through much of their schedule. Ole Miss outscored its opponents 118-18 over its final four games and narrowly finished behind Minnesota in the AP and UPI polls, which crowned the Golden Gophers as national champions before bowl season.
After Minnesota lost the Rose Bowl and Ole Miss won the Sugar Bowl, the Football Writers Association of America recognized the Rebels as national champions.
The 1960 Ole Miss team was coached by Johnny Vaught and was quarterbacked by Jake Gibbs, who finished third in Heisman Trophy voting.
When was Ole Miss' last College Football Playoff appearance?
Ole Miss never reached the College Football Playoff before the 2025 season.
While the Rebels would have made a 12-team format in 2021 and 2023, based on their final ranking, they never cracked the four-team playoff and made their College Football Playoff debut against Tulane in 2025.
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Best seasons in Ole Miss history
Here are the 10 best seasons in Ole Miss history, by winning percentage:
| Season | Record | Pct. | Coach |
| 1962 | 10-0 | 1.000 | Johnny Vaught |
| 1960 | 10-0-1 | .955 | Johnny Vaught |
| 2025 | 13-1 | .929 | Lane Kiffin/Pete Golding |
| 1959 | 10-1 | .909 | Johnny Vaught |
| 1955 | 10-1 | .909 | Johnny Vaught |
| 1948 | 8-1 | .889 | Johnny Vaught |
| 1910 | 7-1 | .875 | N.P. Stauffer |
| 1957 | 9-1-1 | .864 | Johnny Vaught |
| 2023 | 11-2 | .846 | Lane Kiffin |
| 1971 | 10-2 | .833 | Billy Kinard |
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