SEC Football Power Rankings: Ole Miss Football Climbing After Week 1 Victory

Originally posted on Ole Miss Rebels on SI | By Zack Nagy | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 4:39 PM ET

No. 21 Ole Miss will enter Southeastern Conference play on Saturday afternoon in a battle against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field.

After redshirt-sophomore quarterback Austin Simmons propelled the Rebels to a Week 1 victory over Georgia State, all eyes are on Lane Kiffin's program heading into Week 2 at Kentucky.

“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."

Ole Miss has America's attention heading into conference play with the ESPN Football Power Index believing in the program this season.

Where does ESPN's FPI have the Rebels? Where did College Football HQ On SI have Ole Miss in the SEC Power Rankings?

A look into the Week 2 game information and power rankings heading the second game of the regular season.

The Week 2 Game Information:

How to Watch: Ole Miss at Kentucky
Date: Saturday, September 6
Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
Location: Kroger Field at Lexington, Kentucky
TV: ABC
Live Stream: ESPN App
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network

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. Tennessee Volunteers
No. 9: South Carolina Gamecocks
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 SEC Power Rankings: Week 1 Edition

No. 1: LSU Tigers
No. 2: Georgia Bulldogs
No. 3: Texas Longhorns
No. 4: Tennessee Volunteers
No. 5: Auburn Tigers
No. 6: South Carolina Gamecocks
No. 7: Florida Gators
No. 8: Texas A&M Aggies
No. 9: Ole Miss Rebels
No. 10: Alabama Crimson Tide

The Ole Miss Rebels continue cruising up the SEC Power Rankings after moving into the No. 9 slot.

The remainder of the field [11-16]:

No. 11: Missouri Tigers
No. 12: Oklahoma Sooners
No. 13: Arkansas Razorbacks
No. 14: Vanderbilt Commodores
No. 15: Mississippi State Bulldogs
No. 16: Kentucky Wildcats

Kiffin will hit the road to Kroger Field in Lexington (Ky.) in Week 2 for a matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats to open Southeastern Conference play.

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

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