With the end of the 2026 college football regular season just around the corner, minds are already beginning to shift to the postseason and the College Football Playoff. The Rebels are currently considered a “bubble team,” and are in do-or-die territory for securing a spot in the CFP. They are one win away from bowl eligibility.
In the spirit of Halloween, here are five teams that, barring any tricks, would be a treat for the Rebels to face in the playoffs.
Texas — Isaac Scheer
A rematch against Texas likely would not be the easiest potential opponent for the Rebels, but the reasoning for this pick boils down to the classic phrase, “Better the enemy you know than the enemy you don’t.”
Golding has fared well in matchups in which he understood the opponent or had seen a similar threat before: Tulane and Georgia in the playoffs, LSU and a Missouri team that relied on a run game similar to Florida.
Notably, the Longhorns were without many of their stars in this past week’s matchup, but the Rebels still encountered a solid product since Texas has depth at virtually all positions.
Overall, while a Texas rematch may not prove to be a stress free battle, the Rebels could secure a bounce-back victory reminiscent of last season’s Sugar Bowl win.
Texas Tech — Reagan Taylor
By SEC standards, Texas Tech has looked beatable all season. The Red Raiders’ 37-24 loss against Cincinnati last weekend confirmed that.
Their resume is not convincing enough to show they can handle tough opponents. Their strength of schedule is very low, and their ranked win against No. 18 Houston was an extremely narrow 28-26 contest that came down to the final seconds.
Due to their weak conference, the Red Raiders would be less prepared to see an opponent like the Rebels. Ole Miss has already taken down LSU and Missouri this season.
Even the Rebels’ losses to Texas and Florida show more about how the competition would go than Texas Tech’s wins do. Those losses were on the road, and both opponents had something to prove against a talented Ole Miss squad.
The Rebels have the dynamic pieces to get a win in this potential matchup. Ole Miss knows what it takes to compete with the best, and the Rebels have experienced successes and failures while doing it. The Red Raiders, while talented on their own and having collected a loss, still do not seem as prepared and tried as the Rebels.
Wake Forest — Wilson Engeriser
The Demon Deacons’ strong start to the season has them ranked within the Top 15 for the first time since 2021. They are 6-1 and have already faced their two toughest opponents: Miami in a 33-20 loss and Louisville in a 30-27 win.
For Ole Miss, Wake Forest presents an intriguing potential College Football Playoff opponent. Despite their impressive record, the Demon Deacons have benefited from a relatively favorable schedule, and that trend is unlikely to change.
Their remaining opponents have a combined 21-17 record, with No. 19 SMU representing their only current remaining ranked matchup. This gives Wake Forest a realistic opportunity to finish the regular season with just one loss, potentially earning a playoff berth without facing a lot of elite competition, unless Wake Forest meets Miami again in the ACC Championship.
While their record may suggest otherwise, the Demon Deacons have yet to prove they can consistently compete against the nation’s best teams. For an Ole Miss squad looking to make a deep playoff run, drawing Wake Forest would offer a considerably more favorable matchup than one of the SEC or Big 10 powerhouses.
Notre Dame — Billy Flowers
Notre Dame is a great potential matchup for Ole Miss in the CFP. The Fighting Irish currently have three ranked teams on their schedule; in their only ranked matchup so far, they lost to BYU, 28-24.
In contrast, Ole Miss has played one of the hardest schedules in the country and is no stranger to close contests. The Rebels are 3-2 against ranked teams so far this year, and they will have an opportunity to improve on that when the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs travel to Oxford two weeks from now. Ole Miss is also 2-1 in one-score games so far this season.
The Rebels are battle-tested, and the Fighting Irish are not. The nine-game SEC schedule is such an advantage over Notre Dame’s cakewalk that a first-round matchup instantly favors the Rebels. Notre Dame does have a massive test coming up against the Miami Hurricanes, but one huge home matchup is not close to a whole season’s body of work.
UCLA — Cooper Ferguson
While Bob Chesney has done an impressive job with UCLA, the Bruins are not a tough matchup for whichever team is lucky enough to draw them in the opening round of the CFP.
The currently undefeated Bruins have a breeze of a schedule, made even easier by Oregon’s massive collapse. Facing Minnesota, Nevada, Illinois, Michigan and USC to finish out its season, UCLA will likely only play two competitive teams all year: Ohio State or Indiana in the Big 10 title game and whichever team the Bruins face in the opening round of the CFP.
It would be a gift for the Rebels to play such an inexperienced team with a backup quarterback on the biggest stage in collegiate football. If Ole Miss can squeak into the postseason and face off against a team like UCLA, which has not faced real competition, the Rebels would effectively have a bye into the second round.
