The No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels must find a way to finish the 2026 season well after taking their second loss to the Texas Longhorns.

Next, the Rebels face a potentially dangerous Auburn team, and they can't start as they did against Texas.

The Rebels Couldn't Overcome a Big Deficit Against Texas

Things started off normally for Ole Miss against Texas, as the game stayed tied 3-3 for most of the first quarter. However, things went south rather quickly.

Quarterback Arch Manning completed a 43-yard pass down the field to wide receiver Ryan Wingo, setting up a touchdown drive to make it 10-3. After an Ole Miss punt, Manning once again bombed the Rebels' secondary, completing a 50-yard touchdown pass to Wingo.

After another punt by the Rebels, the Longhorns drove downfield and punched it in, taking a 24-3 lead late in the first half. Unfortunately, Ole Miss couldn't respond, as a good drive ended with an interception on a fourth-and-goal.

The Rebels were able to put together an excellent third quarter, cutting the lead to 24-17 before a game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter. Everything was going the Rebels' way as Manning threw a pass that was intercepted on the next drive, but after an Ole Miss punt, the Longhorns drove down the field and took the lead.

Ole Miss lost momentum on a blocked field goal, giving Texas a field goal and a 10-point lead, a deficit too much to overcome. It's certainly disappointing that the Rebels lost after an incredible second-half stretch, but the loss ultimately goes back to the first-half start.

The Rebels' offense didn't perform well, as the Longhorns' speed at WR burned the defense. The Rebels' two first-half interceptions and poor defense helped Texas build a 21-point lead that Ole Miss couldn't overcome.

Ole Miss Can't Afford to Perform Badly in the First Half Again

Against Auburn, or really anyone, the Rebels just can't fall behind like what they did against Texas. That demands too much of quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who can't rescue the Rebels every game.

Ole Miss has to play cleaner, less turnover-prone football in the coming weeks. With an injury to Kewan Lacy, the Rebels' offense isn't built to come back from a significant deficit. That puts too much pressure on the others on the offense, including Chambliss and the running back room.

This Rebels team needs better execution early and, especially, better defense. Auburn has been a strange team this season so far. It is currently 4-3, with losses to the Florida Gators, Tennessee Volunteers, and LSU Tigers.

A couple of weeks ago, the Tigers stunned the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs on the road, defeating them 27-24 after overcoming an early 14-0 deficit. Last week, however, the Tigers didn't look the same. Auburn was completely outmatched by LSU, who ended up blowing Auburn out of the water, winning 38-10.

It's unclear which Auburn team the Rebels will face on Saturday. What is clear, however, is that Ole Miss can't play a sloppy first half and expect to win. The Rebels must win against Auburn. The Rebels are backed into a corner now, and another loss would be catastrophic for their College Football Playoff hopes.

How do you prevent another loss? Don't play an ugly brand of football where nothing seems to be going right. In two losses this season, including a 52-28 road loss to Florida, Ole Miss had a common theme. A bad first half and stretches where the Rebels were, frankly, getting destroyed.

Pete Golding and the Rebels have a roster capable of doing a lot in 2026. To have a chance at a national title, Ole Miss has to clean up some things, especially in the first half. The Rebels must start this Saturday against Auburn.