The Ole Miss Rebels traveled to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in Week 8. Ole Miss held a narrow one-point lead at halftime, but after a close second half, Georgia emerged victorious.
The Rebels dropped their first game of the season, falling to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. While the loss may slightly impact their AP poll ranking, Ole Miss remains in the mix for the College Football Playoff. However, with a challenging schedule ahead, the loss to Georgia reduces the margin for error as the Rebels close out the season.
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Here is more on whether or not the Week 8 SEC loss will keep Ole Miss out of the playoffs.
Is Ole Miss out of the playoffs?
No, not yet. The one loss to Georgia will not automatically eliminate Ole Miss from the playoff picture. The Rebels fall from first in the SEC to fourth in the standings, right behind Georgia. The Rebels do have a tough SEC test next week against Oklahoma, which is coming off a win over South Carolina. The Sooners will be at home, so it will be another tough road test for the Rebels.
If Ole Miss loses, it would be their second overall and conference loss and would push them further down the SEC standings. This would increase the chance that Ole Miss would only be eligible for an at-large bid into the CFP instead of an automatic bid from winning the SEC championship.
After Oklahoma, Ole Miss has South Carolina, The Citadel, Florida and Mississippi State. The SEC opponents are smushed together toward the bottom of the standings, so as long as the Rebels don’t overlook their opponents, they should be able to cruise to a 10-2 overall record even with a loss to OU. Last year, eight of the 12 teams that made the playoffs had at least two losses, so as long as Ole Miss doesn’t reach three, their playoff hopes should remain at least somewhat alive.
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SEC football standings
| Team | Overall Record | SEC Record |
| Texas A&M | 6-0 | 3-0 |
| Alabama | 5-1 | 3-0 |
| Georgia | 6-1 | 4-1 |
| Ole Miss | 6-1 | 3-1 |
| Oklahoma | 6-1 | 2-1 |
| Vanderbilt | 6-1 | 2-1 |
| Tennessee | 5-1 | 2-1 |
| LSU | 5-2 | 2-2 |
| Missouri | 5-1 | 1-1 |
| Texas | 4-2 | 1-1 |
| Florida | 2-4 | 1-2 |
| South Carolina | 3-4 | 1-4 |
| Mississippi State | 4-2 | 0-2 |
| Arkansas | 2-4 | 0-2 |
| Auburn | 3-3 | 0-3 |
| Kentucky | 2-3 | 0-3 |
MORE: Will Vandy make the College Football Playoff?
Ole Miss remaining schedule
| Date | Opponent |
| October 25 | at Oklahoma |
| November 1 | vs. Ole Miss |
| November 8 | at Citadel |
| November 15 | vs. Florida |
| November 28 | at Mississippi State |