Aug 30, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Austin Simmons (13) drops back to pass during the first quarter against the Georgia State Panthers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

ESPN Releases FPI Top-25 Rankings Following Week 1 With Ole Miss Football Cruising

Originally posted on Ole Miss Rebels on SI | By Zack Nagy | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 12:02 PM ET

Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons led the Rebels to an impressive Week 1 victory over Georgia State after exiting Vaught Hemingway Stadium with a 63-7 win.

In Simmons' debut as the starting signal-caller for Ole Miss, the redshirt-sophomore pieced together a strong performance to lead the Rebels to a 1-0 start.

After a pair of early interceptions, Simmons bounced back to finish the night with over 300 yards through the air and multiple touchdowns.

“He had one really bad play, the second interception. The first one’s not his fault, the right guard gets beat. They’re in a blown coverage, we’re gonna score a 75-yard touchdown, walk in the end zone and the guy that blows the coverage picks it off," Kiffin said. "That’s not his fault. The other one is.

"We’ve seen that before with young quarterbacks, kind of almost the same interception we saw Jaxson throw at home onto his right his first year. I thought he did some really good things. Scrambled the way that we would want, you know, slid and took care of himself, but also showed that he can move around and make some plays with his feet."

Now, the ESPN Football Power Index has updated its Top-25 rankings with the Ole Miss Rebels surging.

Where did Kiffin's program come in after Week 1?

The Updated ESPN FPI Rankings: Week 1 Edition

No. 1: Texas Longhorns
No. 2: Georgia Bulldogs
No. 3: Ohio State Buckeyes
No. 4: Ole Miss Rebels
No. 5: Penn State Nittany Lions
No 6: USC Trojans
No. 7: Oregon Ducks
No. 8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
No. 9: Tennessee Volunteers
No. 10: LSU Tigers

Ole Miss comes in at No. 4 in the latest ESPN FPI Top-25 rankings after dismantling the Georgia State Panthers in Week 1.

The remainder of the Top-25:

11. South Carolina
12. Florida (+1)
13. Alabama (-10)
14. Texas A&M (-5)
15. Miami (+2)
16. Auburn (+5)
17. BYU (+5)
18. Missouri (+5)
19. Utah (+26)
20. Michigan (-5)
21. Clemson (-5)
22. Oklahoma (-2)
23. Iowa State (+10)
24. SMU (-5)
25. Kansas (+1)

Ole Miss will return to action in Week 2 with a matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats next on the docket.

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

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