How SEC, ACC, Big 12 championship games will decide Ole Miss football's CFP opponent
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Ole Miss football was No. 6 in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings, and there’s a good chance that’s where the Rebels end up in the final poll Dec. 7.
But what happens in the conference championship games Dec. 6 will decide who new coach Pete Golding and the Rebels will host in a first-round game Dec. 19 or 20.
Ole Miss needs to finish No. 5-8 in the final rankings to host a first-round game.
Coach Lane Kiffin leaving for LSU didn’t impact Ole Miss (11-1) in the CFP rankings, so there’s no reason for Rebels fans to sweat whether the Rebels will make the 12-team bracket.
The top five conference champions in the final CFP rankings get automatic spots in the playoffs. Here are three conference championship games remaining that will impact who the Rebels will play in the first round.
Big 12: Texas Tech vs. Brigham Young
Time/TV: Dec. 6, 11 a.m. CT, ABC.
How Ole Miss is impacted: Ole Miss’ seeding could be impacted if No. 11 Brigham Young (11-1) upsets No. 4 Texas Tech (11-1).
In that case, Texas Tech would likely drop below Ole Miss, pushing the Rebels up to the No. 5 seed. Ole Miss would host the No. 12 seed, which would be Tulane or James Madison.
If Virginia wins the ACC Championship, No. 20 Tulane (11-2) would move to the No. 12 spot in the bracket as the lowest-rated of the five conference champions. The Green Wave beat North Texas in the American Championship. Ole Miss already beat Tulane 45-10 on Sept. 20.
If Duke wins the ACC Championship, No. 25 James Madison (12-1) would move to the No. 12 spot in the bracket as the lowest-rated of the five conference champions, and Tulane would be No. 11. The Dukes won the Sun Belt Championship over Troy.
SEC: Georgia vs. Alabama
Time/TV: Dec. 6, 3 p.m. CT, ABC.
How Ole Miss is impacted: If No. 9 Alabama (10-2) beats No. 3 Georgia (11-1), Alabama would be the highest-rated SEC team and Georgia would likely be the next highest-rated SEC team.
This would push Ole Miss down to No. 7, and the Rebels would host the No. 10 team. That team could be Notre Dame, BYU or even Miami.
ACC: Virginia vs. Duke
Time/TV: Dec. 6, 7 p.m. CT, ABC
How Ole Miss is impacted: If No. 17 Virginia (10-2) wins, the Cavaliers would get the fourth conference champions spot and would be seeded No. 11 in the final bracket.
So Ole Miss would play Virginia if the Rebels remain in the No. 6 spot.
Duke (7-5) was unranked in the latest CFP poll. So even if the Blue Devils win the ACC Championship they would not likely jump Tulane or James Madison, which were ranked heading into conference championship games, into the bracket.
When does College Football Playoff bracket come out?
The final CFP rankings will be released on Dec. 7. You can watch or stream the College Football Playoff selection show on ESPN.
What time is the College Football Playoff selection show?
The CFP rankings selection show is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. CT on Dec. 7.
College Football Playoff bracket 2025-26 dates
- First round: Dec. 19 and 20
- Quarterfinals: Dec. 31 and Jan. 1
- Semifinals: Jan. 8 and 9
- National championship: Jan. 19
Contributing: Sam Hutchens, Paul Myerberg
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Who will Ole Miss play in CFP first round? Today’s games set bracket
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