Sep 20, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin looks on during the first quarter against the Tulane Green Wave at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Alabama Crimson Tide Legend Pumps Brakes on Ole Miss Football's SEC Title Chances

Originally posted on Ole Miss Rebels on SI | By Zack Nagy | Last updated Oct 2, 2025 4:56 PM ET

No. 4 Ole Miss (5-0, 3-0 SEC) remains in headlines following the program's statement victory over Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers in Week 5 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Following the win, Lane Kiffin and Co. skyrocketed up the AP Top-25 Poll to the No. 4 team in America with the National Championship odds turning in the Rebels' favor.

But Kiffin is looking to keep his program even-keeled despite significant hype surrounding the Rebels across the first five games of the season and into this week's open date.

"The message is we’ve got a lot of things to work on," Kiffin said this week. "Don’t listen to the outside noise about 5-0 and the ranking and all that.

"We’ve got a lot of things to work on. They’ve responded well. Very physical practices. We didn’t really need the bye, I didn’t feel like. We were in a good rhythm, but it is what it is.

"But I explained to them, the bye isn’t the bye week. That’s the weekend. You don’t play on the weekend. We’ve got to grind and really work. We’ve spent a lot of time not just on Washington State but Georgia. It’s been good."

Despite significant outside noise, one college football analyst isn't buying stock in the Ole Miss Rebels after a 5-0 start to the season with three Southeastern Conference wins.

Former Alabama Crimson Tide great, Mark Ingram, weighed in on the Rebels where he pumped the brakes on the programs's chances to win the Southeastern Conference.

“It’s still early. … Do they look really good? Yes they do. Trinidad Chambliss is really balling over there at Ole Miss, the defense is playing strong and fast,” Ingram said Wednesday.

“But we’ve seen in the past, Ole Miss, at some point, will Ole Miss. So, they look good, but, you know what I mean, it’s still early.

“The SEC is just really deep, Mizzou looks really good, Vandy is undefeated going into Alabama – and we need our get-back. Oklahoma has been really good even though we know (quarterback John) Mateer has the hand injury.

"Texas A&M with Marcel Reed, Texas has yet to play an SEC game. So it’s still too early to be able to tell. Ole Miss looks to be a contender, and that’s why I’m going straight down the middle.”

No. 4 Ole Miss sits atop the Southeastern Conference through five weeks with all eyes on the backend of the Rebels' 2025 schedule with the slate set to ramp up down the stretch.

This article first appeared on Ole Miss Rebels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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