With their eighth win of 2024, Ole Miss' dominant performance over Georgia in Week 11 puts them into the title conversation with just under a month remaining in the regular season. However, to quarterback Jaxson Dart, the Rebels were always one of the best teams in the country and are only now able to show it.
In his comments after the game, Dart said Ole Miss has been just a “couple of plays away” from being the No. 1 team on the year.
“It feels great,” Dart said, via ESPN. “Everybody counted us out after the LSU game, but we feel like we're a couple of plays away from being the No. 1 team in the country. We're peaking and I think everybody sees that.”
Georgia entered the game riding a four-game win streak that placed them at No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings. The loss was just their second of the year after dropping a 41-34 shootout to Alabama in their fourth game.
In their 28-10 win, Ole Miss limited Georgia to just 245 yards of total offense. The Rebels' offense did not have much more success, scoring just two touchdowns, and rather allowed their defense to dictate the pace of the game. Ole Miss kicker Caden Davis did most of the scoring in the game, going 5-for-5 on field goals.
Dart accounted for 199 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. He added a team-high 50 rushing yards on eight carries. The statement win over Georgia came one week after he shocked the country with a 500-yard game against Arkansas.
Ole Miss' remaining 2024 schedule
With the win over Georgia shooting Ole Miss up the SEC standings, the Rebels are suddenly in play to potentially win the conference and force themselves into the College Football Playoffs. After 10 games, Ole Miss is now 8-2 on the year and picked up their first win over a ranked opponent.
In their two remaining games, Ole Miss will face Florida and Mississippi State to end its season. Currently, the Rebels are fifth in the SEC, behind Texas, Georgia, Texas A&M and Tennessee. However, one of either Texas or Texas A&M will pick up a loss at the end of the year with the two teams facing each other.
Tennessee and Georgia will face off in Week 12, guaranteeing another loss to a team ahead of them. Ole Miss now also holds the tiebreaker over Georgia.
Winning out the rest of the season, a very feasible task, could lead Ole Miss to a top-two finish in the conference. After flying under the radar all season, a College Football Playoff appearance is suddenly well within reach for Dart's squad.
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