Fansided

10 Power 5 National Championship dark horse contenders

By John Buhler

Nov 27, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Jake Browning (3) throws out a pass during the first quarter against the Washington State Cougars at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Jake Browning (3) throws out a pass during the first quarter against the Washington State Cougars at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
9 of 11
Next
Oct 3, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly (10) throws the ball against the Florida Gators during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Mississippi Rebels 38-10. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly (10) throws the ball against the Florida Gators during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Mississippi Rebels 38-10. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

On paper, the 2016 Ole Miss Rebels should be one of a handful of SEC teams that have a somewhat realistic shot at making the 2017 College Football Playoff. Teams like Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee are probably more likely to make it, but in a conference where every week features landscape-altering match-ups, the Rebs have just as good an outside shot as anyone.

The reasons Ole Miss can emerge as the dark horse to win the SEC and compete in the College Football Playoff are three-fold:

1.) The Rebels have the best quarterback in the SEC West this season in senior Chad Kelly.

2.) Their schedule is front-loaded, with the first true road game not coming until Oct. 15 at Arkansas.

3.) It they can get to mid-October with one loss, the Rebels have a great shot at winning the SEC West for the first time in school history.

Ole Miss has a rough September, with a neutral-site game in Orlando against ACC powerhouse Florida State on Labor Day, Alabama at home on Sep. 17, Georgia at home the following week, and a strong mid-major test at Memphis on Oct. 1.

Yes, facing the Razorbacks on the road will be tough, but the only two other potentially tough SEC road games are at LSU (Oct. 22) and at Texas A&M (Nov. 12). Getting Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, and Mississippi State all at home is huge for the Rebels. With Vaught-Hemingway Stadium now enclosed and louder than ever, it’ll be tough for anyone to beat Ole Miss at home this season.

Along with Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs, Kelly is probably one of the two best quarterbacks in the SEC entering 2016. Texas A&M’s Trevor Knight and Georgia’s Jacob Eason have plenty of upside, yes, but Kelly holds the key to Ole Miss’ potentially historic 2016 NCAA season.

Keep in mind that the Rebels have played in prestigious New Year’s bowl games in each of the last two seasons. And while they were embarrassed by TCU in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in 2014, Ole Miss did top a strong Oklahoma State team at the All-State Sugar Bowl in 2015.

In short, the Rebels have the experience at both quarterback and head coach (the formidable Hugh Freeze) to run the table in the SEC this season. With only a vulnerable Alabama, an inconsistent LSU, and an unproven Tennessee standing in the way, could the Rebels win the SEC and the National Championship in 2016? It’s definitely on the table for Hotty Toddy Nation.

Next: 2. Washington Huskies.

Home/College Football Playoff