Phil Steele thinks Ole Miss could be a 'surprise contender' in SEC

In the history of Ole Miss football, the Rebels have never made it to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game. Every other team originally in the division has done so, with newcomer Texas A&M being the only one to share the unfortunate stat with Ole Miss.

Head coach Lane Kiffin is looking to change that in the near future, though. In a season where Alabama and LSU are considered the two favorites in the West, Phil Steele views Ole Miss as a potential “surprise contender.” In the new era of college football, the Portal King made big moves this offseason.

“This year the Rebels are not only No. 27 on my Exp chart but Kiffin hit the portal hard again and brought in many impact players,” Steele said. “They do draw Georgia out of the East but this is a very talented squad that could be a surprise contender in the SEC West as they host both LSU and Texas A&M.”

By now, we all know Kiffin is not scared of using the NCAA transfer portal. Even when you thought he had a returning starting quarterback in Jaxson Dart, he dipped in and brought Spencer Sanders and Walker Howard into the program. A total of 21 other players followed suit, choosing to play for Ole Miss next season.

Successfully being able to plug them in right away and have success will be key for Kiffin.

But as always with the SEC, one thing remains the most important. Schedule, schedule, schedule.

Steele mentioned the back-to-back national champions Georgia being on the schedule, with Ole Miss heading to Athens. The Rebels have not been to Sanford Stadium since 2012 and have not won there since 1996. SEC scheduling plays a factor but it’s still a daunting task for the program.

Having LSU and Texas A&M, two other teams Steele has high hopes for, in Oxford will help the cause. Kiffin has had success at home against those two programs, beating both of them during the 2021 season. Even with an improved LSU team, there could be some confidence coming from the Rebels.

You would think Alabama is the final piece of the equation, facing off in Tuscaloosa. Kiffin takes his matchup against Nick Saban as seriously as any, wanting to get one off the coach he considers the greatest of all time.

Pull one off against Saban and Ole Miss will go from “surprise contender” to a serious contender.