Ole Miss ranked No. 10 in first College Football Playoff rankings of 2023 season
Oct. 31—OXFORD — Ole Miss is ranked No. 10 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of 2023, released Tuesday night.
It marks the fifth time Ole Miss (7-1, 4-1 SEC) is ranked in the first CFP rankings of a season. The Rebels were ranked No. 11 in the first rankings of 2022, No. 16 in 2021, No. 18 in 2015 and No. 4 in 2014. It's the Rebels' 23rd appearance in the CFP rankings overall.
The Rebels have won four-straight games since losing at Alabama in their SEC opener, including a thrilling shootout victory over then-No. 12 LSU and the program's fourth win ever at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium. Ole Miss has two wins over top-25 teams (No. 22 Tulane, No. 12 LSU) and is tied for tenth nationally in scoring offense at 38.9 points per game. The Rebels' 474 yards of offense per game is 12th in the FBS and is third in the SEC.
Ole Miss junior quarterback Jaxson Dart is 13th in the nation in passing efficiency and total offense. He has completed 64.5% of his passes for 2,080 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions and has 326 yards and seven touchdowns rushing. Sophomore running back Quinshon Judkins — the SEC's leading rusher in 2022 — has 691 yards and nine rushing touchdowns this season, and the Rebels are the only Power Five team with three 500-plus-yard receivers.
Since surrendering 49 points and 637 yards of offense to LSU, Ole Miss — under first-year defensive coordinator Pete Golding — has allowed 790 total yards in wins over Arkansas, Auburn and Vanderbilt. Auburn and Vanderbilt threw for a combined 182 yards and four interceptions against Ole Miss. The Revels currently rank 41st nationally in points per game allowed at 21.4.
Ole Miss is tied for fourth nationally with 30 sacks, led by senior defensive end Jared Ivey's 5.5, and the Rebels are tied for eighth in the nation in tackles for loss per game (7.9). True freshman linebacker Suntarine Perkins, a five-star recruit in the 2023 class, has 30 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
