Ken Ruinard / staff, The Greenville News via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Paul Finebaum Sees Surprise SEC Contender Poised for Strong Start

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The college football offseason has arrived, and summer workouts are beginning to take shape.

During this time of year, national analysts offer a flurry of predictions about what to expect in the upcoming season, ranging from conference championship picks to forecasts for individual teams.

SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum is always eager to share his insights on what he believes will occur this season. On his show, "The Paul Finebaum Show," he was asked about his expectations for the Ole Miss Rebels.

Last season, the Rebels finished with a record of 10-3. However, they are losing a significant amount of talent, including quarterback Jaxson Dart, who was selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Overall, the Rebels are returning only 42% of their production, which ranks No. 113 in the country. Despite these losses, Finebaum expressed that he anticipates a strong start for Lane Kiffin's team.

"I think Austin Simmons is going to be a good fill-in for Jaxson (Dart)," Finebaum said. "The schedule is manageable. I think there's a chance to get off to a pretty fast start. I like having LSU at home. I wouldn't be shocked to see Ole Miss heading to Georgia undefeated."

Despite a potentially strong start to the season, Finebaum has expressed uncertainty about Ole Miss as a team. However, he believes the schedule could work in its favor. Finebaum initially thought it might be a tough year for the Rebels, but after reviewing their schedule, he concluded that it isn’t overly challenging.

Athlon Sports' Kyle Wood ranks Ole Miss as having the second-easiest schedule in the SEC this year. Wood agrees with Finebaum that the Rebels’ favorable early schedule could help them start strong once again. He pointed out that five of their first six games are at home in Oxford, with the LSU game being the only likely matchup against a top-25 opponent.

Finebaum believes that if Ole Miss can successfully navigate the LSU game, they could enter their seventh game of the season against Georgia with a 6-0 record. However, that is when the schedule becomes more difficult.

Following the Georgia game, Ole Miss will face South Carolina and Florida, before finishing with the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State in Starkville. Therefore, while another 10-win season is possible for head coach Lane Kiffin, a strong start to the season will be crucial.

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

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