Ole Miss vs. Florida: How Rebels Loss Impacts AP Rankings, CFP Picture

The No. 3 Ole Miss Rebels got crunched, 38-10, by the 25th-ranked Florida Gators on Saturday night at The Swamp, which means the Rebels' run as rankings darlings could be over.

Ole Miss steadily ascended up the Associated Press Top 25 poll over the first three weeks of the season, and it used an upset win against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 3 to move into a tie for No. 3. 

However, the Rebels have tapered off ever since. They put forth an uninspiring effort in a 27-16 win over the Vanderbilt Commodores a week ago, and that lethargy carried over to Saturday's showdown with the Gators. 

"I’ve coached long enough to know you have nights like this," Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said following the loss, per the Clarion-Ledger's Daniel Paulling. "It’s not fun. But you’ve got to take the criticism that comes with it and get your team better. We’re still right in the thick of the West race, and we’re going to go play and get better."

Based on past precedent, Ole Miss could drop somewhere in the range of five to seven spots.

Alabama's loss to the Rebels sent the Crimson Tide from No. 2 to No. 12, and the story was similar for Oregon following the Ducks' Week 2 loss to Michigan State. After a 1-0 start landed Oregon in the No. 7 spot, head coach Mark Helfrich's side plummeted to No. 12 after taking a tough road loss against the Spartans. 

The question, then, is how much weight Ole Miss' head-to-head win over Alabama holds. Both the Rebels and Crimson Tide own the same 4-1 record, but Alabama has a stronger resume and been the more polished side since the two teams met in Week 3.

The SEC powerhouses will likely slot in right next to each other when the new AP poll drops, but Alabama's convincing 38-10 win over the No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs could be enough to shoot the Crimson Tide past the Rebels.

The good news for Ole Miss is that some of its primary competition for a College Football Playoff spot faltered as well. The No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish and No. 7 UCLA Bruins also lost Saturday night, which means Ole Miss can drop only so far. 

"Ole Miss still controls its SEC destiny, but things just got much tougher," Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples wrote. "The Rebels’ win at Alabama on Sept. 19 was about the best hole card an SEC team could hold, but Saturday’s loss removes any margin for error."

The Rebels are still alive in the CFP conversation, but Saturday's performance against Florida will need to be an anomalistic blip on their resume. If it isn't, their spot in the polls will drop considerably, and title hopes will fade fast.

The good news is that upcoming meetings with New Mexico State and Memphis will give Ole Miss extended opportunities to correct the mistakes it made against Florida. SEC play will resume for the Rebels on Oct. 24 against an undefeated Texas A&M team before matchups against Arkansas, LSU and Mississippi State round out the regular-season slate.