When the final whistle sounded in Saturday’s game between Ole Miss and Florida, the Rebels thought that their College Football Playoff hopes were gone.

It still may be a longshot to reach the CFP, but after a chaotic Saturday where so many upsets took place, the Rebels are going into this week with the hope that they can backdoor their way into the tournament. First, however, they have to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the annual Egg Bowl.

Defensive back Trey Washington was made available to the media on Monday where he discussed the team’s mindset immediately following the loss to Florida and how that mindset has changed in the days since.

“It changed a good bit after the games that happened after ours,” Washington said. “I wasn’t really plugged into the rest of the SEC, but John [Saunders] kind of texted the DB group chat saying we’re still alive, keep your heads up and keep going. That helped. But, obviously, after the game, we were demoralized a little bit.”

Ole Miss can’t know for sure whether or not it could be a three-loss team in the playoff entering this week of play, but if it loses to Mississippi State on Friday, the hope of reaching the CFP is zero. That gives the Rebels a desire to go out and make Friday night a win and hope for the best, in terms of postseason placement.

“It’s motivation to get better. That’s all it should be,” Washington said. “We have to do a better job of playing a complete game on defense. I feel like we came out a little flat. We have to do a good job of playing a good four quarters of football, and that’s what we’re focused on this week.”

Mississippi State is entering this game with an overall record of 2-9 and a winless mark in SEC play under first-year head coach Jeff Lebby. While it hasn’t been a banner year for the Bulldogs, Egg Bowl history seems to indicate that anything can happen in this rivalry series, so Ole Miss has to be prepared for State’s best shot.

“The record doesn’t really matter for this game, and the coaches have done a great job of emphasizing that it doesn’t matter,” Washington said. “This game has been chaotic throughout the years, so we have to keep our heads on and go in there and face a faceless opponent at the end of the day and execute.”

Friday will also mark senior night for the Rebels, a group that Washington will be a part of during the festivities at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. A native of Trussville, Ala., Washington didn’t grow up around the Egg Bowl, but his four years in Oxford have taught him how important this game is to Mississippians.

He is focused on winning the game one final time in his Rebel career.

“It’s something that’s crazy to think about,” Washington said. “I haven’t had a chance to reminisce on it yet, but there will times during practice where I’ll picture myself as a freshman in the same spot that I am now. It’s crazy to think about. It’s a blessing, and that’s why I want to continue playing for the university this Friday.”

Kickoff on Friday between Ole Miss and Mississippi State is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on ABC.