Ole Miss football's Lane Kiffin sent out the perfect post after winning his fourth Egg Bowl. The Rebels rebounded from their shocking loss against Florida with a 26-14 victory over their in-state rival Mississippi State.

Star quarterback Jaxson Dart put together a gritty performance in his last game at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium, throwing for 143 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 77 yards. The No. 14 Rebels finished the regular season at 9-3 and need plenty of help to make the College Football Playoff.

Regardless of what happens outside of Oxford, Friday night was a feel-good moment for Kiffin and his program. The fifth-year head coach summed up the victory on his personal X account.

Ole Miss football is still a program on the rise under Lane Kiffin

Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) looks to pass while defended by Mississippi State Bulldogs linebacker Branden Jennings (44) during the first quarter at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Matt Bush-Imagn Images

Ole Miss football has had a very up-and-down season with some impressive wins and shocking upsets. Ranked sixth in the preseason poll, the Rebels started the season 4-0, getting as high as fifth in the nation.

The inconsistencies began with a shocking loss to Kentucky. Ole Miss football has gone 5-2 since the setback, which includes disappointing losses to currently unranked LSU and Florida. However, in that span, the Rebels also racked up dominant wins over top-15 teams Georgia and South Carolina.

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Compiling all these results adds to a complicated resume for Lane Kiffin's team. The Rebels have the 29th-best strength of schedule in the country and are ranked 17th in strength of record. Ole Miss football is currently fifth in the SEC and cannot make the conference championship game. However, a path to the postseason can open up on Saturday.

First, the Rebels will need No. 15 South Carolina to win at No. 12 Clemson. After that, there are several upsets that Ole Miss football could use to jump up in the rankings.

Considering the number of spots open, Lane Kiffin's team should keep an eye on the following games: No. 13 Alabama vs. Auburn, No. 10 Indiana at Purdue, No. 9 SMU vs. Cal, No. 8 Tennessee at Vanderbilt, No. 6 Miami at Syracuse, and No. 5 Notre Dame at USC. Should two or three of these teams lose this Saturday, the Rebels' path becomes much more realistic.

Overall, Lane Kiffin has built a program in Oxford that will consistently contend for one of the 12 playoff spots. With this new format, a program like Ole Miss football, consistently ranked in the top 20 in recruiting, can rise even higher.

The 12-team playoff increases parity in college football as more programs have realistic shots of contending for a national championship. It's not the same six-seven teams competing for four spots as in the past.

Even though he hates the current NIL system, Lane Kiffin has become very adept with it over the past few years. Ole Miss football will continue to contend for playoff spots in this new era, especially with its current coach.