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I won’t say Ole Miss will never have a better opportunity to win at Alabama.

Never, after all, is an awfully big word.

I do feel quite safe, however, in saying there will rarely be a better chance for Ole Miss to roll into Tuscaloosa and leave with a victory.

Saturday was certainly a shining opportunity for Ole Miss. And the Rebels didn’t take advantage.

It’s really as simple as that. Ole Miss had chances. The Rebels simply couldn’t and didn’t capitalize. No. 13 Alabama escaped Bryant-Denny Stadium with a 24-10 win over No. 15 Ole Miss.

Alabama improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the Southeastern Conference. Ole Miss fell to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in league play.

There’s no spinning what happened Saturday. Ole Miss had chances in the first half to build a lead on Alabama. The Rebels couldn’t capitalize. In the second half, it was Alabama who made the most adjustments and took control of the line of scrimmage, all while accumulating momentum.

In the fourth quarter, Alabama did what Alabama so often does — lean on its worn-down opponent and choke it out. Jase McClellan’s 10-yard touchdown run with 12:10 left was a prime example of that. The Crimson Tide drove 75 yards on six plays to answer a Caden Davis field goal and take a two-score lead.

Maybe the castle in Tuscaloosa is crumbling, but Lane Kiffin shouldn’t have poked the bear on Monday, using Taylor Swift as his social media messenger. Ole Miss hasn’t beaten Alabama during Kiffin’s four-season tenure. Kiffin would likely be advised to just stay quiet and try to sneak up on his former boss’ team. Instead, he got headlines.

But let’s be clear: Ole Miss didn’t lose because of Kiffin’s comments about Alabama’s defensive play-calling or because of a Swift song. Ole Miss lost because it couldn’t establish the running game. Quinshon Judkins rushed for just 56 yards. Ole Miss lost because it couldn’t win the line of scrimmage. It lost because it couldn’t stop Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, who threw for 225 yards and ran for 26 more. It lost because it couldn’t get receivers open downfield. The Rebels passed for 245 yards but it was just short chunk after short chunk It lost because when Alabama took a shot, the Tide converted and when the Rebels took a shot, it ended in an interception. It lost because Ole Miss was just 3-for-14 on third down.

Ole Miss lost because it simply wasn’t good enough to beat Alabama.

There will be plenty of time to dissect the Xs and Os of Alabama’s win over Ole Miss, but for the Rebels, it’s simply imperative they move on. LSU comes to Oxford in a week, and assuming a win over Arkansas Saturday night in Baton Rouge, the Tigers will be a top-10 team looking to get to 3-0 in the league. An Ole Miss loss would basically end the Rebels’ SEC West chances before the calendar turns to October.

On a team full of transfer portal additions, that could be a recipe for disaster with the top team goals already unachievable.

That’s why Sept. 23 always loomed so large on Ole Miss’ schedule. It was a huge exam, one that was going to shape the rest of the Rebels’ season.

Ole Miss failed.

The final grade isn’t in, and there’s still opportunity to recover and pass with flying colors. But make no mistake, Saturday represented a huge chance for Ole Miss to make a statement, position itself as a Western Division contender and set up an electric atmosphere next weekend in Oxford.

Ole Miss will be tempted to look back and wonder what if. The Rebels don’t have time, though. Instead, Ole Miss is left to lick its wounds, return home and face a talented LSU season with no margin for error.