Ole Miss will start the season with its highest ranking since Johnny Vaught was in his first tenure as head coach.

The Rebels are sixth in the initial AP Top 25, the highest spot in a first AP Poll of a season since a fifth place opening in 1970. Ole Miss, that seaso, went 7-4 and ranked 20th nationally.

Ole Miss, with 1,189 points, is behind Georgia (1,532), Ohio State (1,490), Oregon (1,403), Texas (1,386) and Alabama (1,26). Georgia got 46 of 62 first place votes, followed by 15 for Ohio State and one for Oregon.

The Rebels, who went 11-2 with a win over Penn State in the Peach Bowl last season, faces No. 1 Georgia, No. 13 LSU and No. 16 Oklahoma this year. Kentucky, a home opponent in week four, also received three votes.

It's the 11th time Ole Miss has been in the top 10 of an AP Poll to begin a season.

The College Football Playoff will feature 12 teams for the first time this season. Ole Miss is widely considered to be in that tournament. The top four seeds are the highest ranked conference champions, and those teams receive a bye.

The highest ranked Grove of Five team gets a spot. The rest of the field is made up of at-large berths.

Ole Miss starts the season on August 31 against Furman.

The Rebels are ranked in the preseason AP poll for the third straight season. Ole Miss was last ranked in the top 10 to start a year in 2009 at No. 8.