John Fourcade told this show on Monday that Ole Miss's path is simple: "Don't lose another game and you're in." His instinct is defensible. The mechanism underneath it is not. Segment one: Fourcade said "they're going to pick the 2 teams that come first and second," and that an unbeaten Kentucky is "automatically in." The field stayed at 12 teams for 2026, settled in January and reported by CBS Sports and Yahoo. There is one SEC automatic bid and it belongs to the conference champion regardless of ranking — not to the top two in the standings. Notre Dame takes an at-large if it finishes top 12, and one bid goes to the highest-ranked Group of Six champion. So a Kentucky team that wins out in conference play and then loses the championship game applies for an at-large like everyone else. Segment two: Fourcade asked how you leave a 9-3 Ole Miss team out of the playoff. They already did. Two years ago Alabama finished 9-3 ranked 11th and was left out, and Ole Miss finished 9-3 ranked 14th, per The Rebel Walk. The honest counterweight: Fourcade is right that an SEC team which actually wins out will be ranked high enough that the mechanism never matters. And this resume is not the 2024 resume — a win over Georgia changes the whole sheet. The first CFP rankings land Tuesday, November 3, three days after the Auburn game. Where do you think 12 teams leaves Ole Miss? Tell me in the comments. Locked On Ole Miss Hits — quick takes on the Rebels every weekday. Subscribe and hit the bell. Hotty Toddy. #OleMiss #HottyToddy #CFP #PeteGolding #SEC #CollegeFootball
John Fourcade told this show on Monday that Ole Miss's path is simple: "Don't lose another game and you're in." His instinct is defensible. The mechanism underneath it is not.
Segment one: Fourcade said "they're going to pick the 2 teams that come first and second," and that an unbeaten Kentucky is "automatically in." The field stayed at 12 teams for 2026, settled in January and reported by CBS Sports and Yahoo. There is one SEC automatic bid and it belongs to the conference champion regardless of ranking — not to the top two in the standings. Notre Dame takes an at-large if it finishes top 12, and one bid goes to the highest-ranked Group of Six champion.
So a Kentucky team that wins out in conference play and then loses the championship game applies for an at-large like everyone else.
Segment two: Fourcade asked how you leave a 9-3 Ole Miss team out of the playoff. They already did. Two years ago Alabama finished 9-3 ranked 11th and was left out, and Ole Miss finished 9-3 ranked 14th, per The Rebel Walk.
The honest counterweight: Fourcade is right that an SEC team which actually wins out will be ranked high enough that the mechanism never matters. And this resume is not the 2024 resume — a win over Georgia changes the whole sheet.
The first CFP rankings land Tuesday, November 3, three days after the Auburn game.
Where do you think 12 teams leaves Ole Miss? Tell me in the comments.
Locked On Ole Miss Hits — quick takes on the Rebels every weekday. Subscribe and hit the bell. Hotty Toddy.
#OleMiss #HottyToddy #CFP #PeteGolding #SEC #CollegeFootball