Paul Finebaum Names Major College Football Team He Doesn't Have a 'Great Feeling About'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated May 5, 2025 9:00 PM ET

The 2025 college football season is just over three months away, and several teams are aiming to build on strong performances from last season.

Others hope to overcome obstacles and qualify for the College Football Playoff for the first time in their school's history.

One team looking to break through is the Ole Miss Rebels. The Rebels have won 10 or more games in three of the last four seasons. Last season, Ole Miss finished with a 10-3 record, which was considered disappointing due to the high expectations held for the team.

According to ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI), Ole Miss was ranked No. 5 in the country but did not make the playoff due to those three losses.

On "The Paul Finebaum Show," SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum shared his thoughts about Ole Miss, particularly in light of the team's need to replace star quarterback Jaxson Dart, who was selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Finebaum said he doesn't have a good feel for Ole Miss this coming season.

"I thought Austin Simmons in that game was phenomenal, frankly," Finebaum said. "He really kept them in the game. I don't have a great feeling about Ole Miss until this. I was kind of like it could be a tough year, but then I looked at the schedule, and to me, this is not a challenging schedule."

Finebaum indicated that Ole Miss's toughest two games this season are at home against the LSU Tigers and on the road against the Georgia Bulldogs. He expressed that aside from these two matchups, he doesn’t foresee any games on the schedule that the Rebels can’t win.

However, Finebaum also believes that people may be overestimating Ole Miss.

He pointed out that last season, the Rebels faced unexpected challenges in games that ultimately hurt them. He specifically mentioned their close loss to the Kentucky Wildcats, who finished the season 4-8, with a score of 20-17, and their 24-17 defeat to the 8-5 Florida Gators. Finebaum feels this inconsistency is something to be concerned about with a Kiffin-coached team.

The Rebels will kick off their season against Georgia State on August 30.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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