How Ole Miss' upset win over Georgia impacts College Football Playoff picture

Ole Miss entered Saturday’s game against Georgia as one of the first teams out in the projected College Football Playoff bracket as the No. 16-ranked team. An upset win would go a long way for Lane Kiffin and the Rebels to make the 12-team field, but a loss would likely dash their hopes of making the cut.

A rebuilt defense rose to the challenge, holding UGA to 233 total yards and just 10 points en route to the biggest win of Kiffin’s tenure. Most importantly, Ole Miss’ College Football Playoff aspirations are alive and well.

Early on, it looked like the Rebels would face an even taller task than anticipated. Jaxson Dart threw an interception on the game’s opening drive and headed to the locker room with an ankle injury. He later returned, though, and didn’t miss a beat. He threw for 199 yards and a touchdown after that interception while adding 50 rushing yards, as well.

On the defensive side, the Ole Miss pass rush kept Georgia’s offense from getting in a rhythm. Carson Beck threw for 163 yards on the day, but threw a costly interception down the stretch. The Bulldogs’ running attack was also quiet, totaling just 70 yards after averaging 132.3 entering Saturday’s matchup.

With the loss, Georgia falls to 7-2 overall – with both losses coming in SEC play, which could have conference championship implications. As for Ole Miss, the Rebels move to 8-2 and will now see what happens during Tuesday’s rankings reveal.

How win over Georgia helps Ole Miss’ CFP case

In the projected 12-team bracket after the first CFP rankings release, Ole Miss came in as the fourth team out of the field at No. 16. The Rebels needed to keep winning if they wanted a shot at making the cut, and a win over the No. 3 team in the country was a strong start.

However, all eyes are now on No. 15 LSU, which takes on No. 11 Alabama Saturday night. It’s essentially an elimination game for the CFP, and it will have an impact on Ole Miss one way or another.

Saturday’s win is quite the resume addition for the Rebels, as well. Georgia entered Saturday as the No. 3-ranked team in the first College Football Playoff rankings, and the only blemish on the Bulldogs’ resume is a loss at Alabama. However, the committee cited UGA’s win over Texas as part of the decision to rank them at No. 3.

A second loss – coupled with a Texas win – means Georgia will likely drop. It’s also worth noting the Bulldogs are the second Top-Four team to fall in Week 11, adding to the intrigue around the second rankings reveal.

Miami suffered its first loss of the year on Saturday, falling to Georgia Tech in Atlanta. The Hurricanes ranked No. 4 in the first rankings and still have their sights set on an ACC Championship berth. But a loss means they’re likely to move down, as well, meaning the College Football Etch-A-Sketch is getting a major shakeup this week.