Lane Kiffin puts heat on CFP bracket after Ole Miss pounds Georgia. So, who's left out?

Lane Kiffin and his quarterback, Jaxson Dart, grabbed that big, hairy can’t-win-the-big-one monkey off their shoulders and punted him to the moon on Saturday.

Ole Miss won the big one. A season-saving big one.

The Rebels didn't just beat Georgia. They dominated the Bulldogs.

Consider Saturday’s 28-10 victory a narrative-altering turnabout that occurred 12 months after Georgia crushed Ole Miss by 35 points in Athens.

That loss last November spurred Kiffin to closely evaluate soft spots in his roster, and with Ole Miss’ well-funded NIL collective behind him, he addressed those deficiencies in the offseason with a surgeon's precision. Kiffin used proven transfers to bolster Ole Miss’ offensive line and its defensive front.

That investment paid off in this rematch. Ole Miss (8-2) owned Georgia (7-2) at the lines of scrimmage.

"Just really happy," Kiffin said afterward.

Dart's first-quarter interception gifted Georgia golden field position to score its only touchdown. You could be forgiven for thinking, "Here we go again," in that moment.

Like his coach, Dart previously withered against the toughest opponents. No more. He shrugged off the early mistake, and despite playing on a gimpy ankle, Dart vastly outperformed Georgia’s Carson Beck, who remained ensnarled in a weekslong rut.

"Jaxson made really good throws," Kiffin said.

And Kiffin made all the right moves, persistently opting for field goals on fourth downs that Ole Miss stacked into valuable points, while the remade defense handled the rest.

Kiffin went 0-5 all-time against Nick Saban, with the first loss coming while he coached Tennessee. Those results contributed to the narrative that Kiffin fizzles in big games. That narrative is outdated and no longer accurate.

Kiffin now owns a victory against Kirby Smart, James Franklin, Brian Kelly and Josh Heupel. He went 3-0 against Jimbo Fisher, contributing to Texas A&M firing Fisher last season.

Until Saturday, no team other than Alabama had beaten Georgia since the 2020 season.

Beating Georgia resurrected Ole Miss’ season and causes anxiety for the College Football Playoff selection committee.

The Rebels, ranked No. 16 in the initial CFP rankings, surely must move to the right side of the playoff bubble, but at whose expense?

As many as seven SEC teams could finish with records of 10-2 or better.

Georgia, ranked No. 3 by the CFP committee last week, will host No. 7 Tennessee next week.

If the Bulldogs suffer a third loss, would the committee show enough backbone to boot Georgia?

The Bulldogs own one of the season’s most impressive victories – they went into Austin and whipped Texas – but I don’t envision room for a three-loss at-large qualifier within this crowded bubble.

What of Tennessee (8-1)? Would losing at Georgia, the week after Ole Miss hammered the Bulldogs, put the Vols in jeopardy? It's possible, depending on how many teams logjam the bubble come selection day.

Meanwhile, Ole Miss will close with Florida and Mississippi State, offering a chance for two blowout victories to polish the résumé.

By December, the Rebels should put to rest the question of whether they'll make the playoff and replace it with the question of whether they should be seeded high enough to host a first-round game.

Unburdened by the monkey, Kiffin's Rebels could make noise in the CFP bracket.

Here’s what else I’m eyeing in this view from the “Topp Rope”:

Familiar story for Georgia’s Carson Beck

I raised the question last weekend about whether Smart ought to consider changing quarterbacks and give backup Gunner Stockton a look, to change the offense's direction in the face of Beck’s mounting woes.

I now raise that question with renewed vigor.

Beck just doesn’t have it this season. His offensive line did him no favors against Ole Miss, but the fact remains that Georgia’s quarterback isn’t sparking enough offensive life.

Stockton's mobility would provide a different wrinkle, but Smart abhors changing quarterbacks. Three years ago, it took multiple injuries to JT Daniels before Smart finally trusted Stetson Bennett IV to be QB1.

Beck had two turnovers in this loss, giving him 14 turnovers in the past six games.

How little Smart must think of Stockton that he’s sticking with Beck. Or, Smart simply refuses to see the big picture that Beck’s performance pushes Georgia to the brink of playoff elimination.

"I thought Carson played good, guys," Smart said after Beck threw for 186 yards. "I thought he played good."

Smart watched a different game than the rest of us.

Miami in a spot of trouble

Miami played with fire one too many times. The Hurricanes finally got burned in a 28-23 loss to Georgia Tech.

Miami previously delivered three second-half comebacks on Cam Ward's shoulders en route to the No. 4 spot in the initial CFP rankings. The problem with that strategy is, it requires your quarterback to be Superman each week.

Georgia Tech’s ball-control offense and persistent pass rush on defense prevented any Miami theatrics.

The ACC joins the Big 12 in profiling as a one-bid conference. The ACC championship matchup, projected as SMU vs. Miami, sets up as an CFP elimination game.

Best line I heard this week

After Missouri scored two touchdowns in the final two minutes to beat Oklahoma 30-23, Tigers coach Eliah Drinkwitz made this proclamation:

"This keeps us in the playoff hunt," Drinkwitz said on the SEC Network. "That’s right. I said it. Playoff hunt."

There’s a chance Drinkwitz was just trolling us with that doozy.

Missouri ranked No. 24 in the initial CFP rankings, and, with blowout losses to Texas A&M and Alabama, the Tigers would be last in line of the SEC’s two-loss teams for an at-large bid.

But wait! If things get really wacky, Missouri could finish in an eight-way tie for first place in the SEC standings, which would enact a meticulous tiebreaker procedure to determine the two teams destined for the SEC championship game. And the SEC’s champion will be playoff bound.

So, you’re telling me there’s a chance?!

Not really, but makes for a good postgame quote.

Three and out

1. If Colorado closes with wins against Utah, Kansas and Oklahoma State, all of which are unranked, it will qualify for the Big 12 championship game. And if it wins the Big 12 championship, it’s in the playoff. Oh, mama. Deion Sanders sits four wins away from the CFP.

2. Predicting the top 12 of Tuesday’s CFP rankings: 1. Oregon, 2. Ohio State, 3. Texas, 4. Penn State, 5. Tennessee, 6. Indiana, 7. Alabama, 8. BYU, 9. Notre Dame, 10. Ole Miss, 11. Georgia, 12. Miami.

3. My latest "Topp Rope" playoff projection: Oregon (Big Ten), Alabama (SEC), Miami (ACC), BYU (Big 12), Boise State (Group of Five), plus at-large selections Ole Miss, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame. Next up: Indiana, SMU, Colorado, Texas A&M, Army, Tulane.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer. The "Topp Rope" is his football column published throughout the USA TODAY Network. Subscribe to read all of his columns.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lane Kiffin puts heat on CFP bracket after Ole Miss pounds Georgia