Ole Miss is looking to make a run this college football season. Although this year’s schedule does not appear to match the difficulty of last year’s, the season promises to be exciting.
The Rebels do not play traditional rivals Alabama and Auburn this season but pick up SEC newcomer Oklahoma in Oxford. This year each SEC school’s schedule includes eight conference games, with at least one opponent coming from the Big 12, Big 10, ACC or a major independent. SEC East and West divisions also will be eliminated.
The Rebels will play a few non-conference games to start the 2024 season, first hosting Furman on Aug. 31. SEC play begins Sept. 28 against Kentucky in the homecoming game. Here are predictions for the September slate.
Furman (Aug. 31)
Furman will face the Rebels in Oxford for the first time since 1902, and this time Ole Miss and its roster have never looked better. With an updated defense and plenty of offensive starters returning, week one should be a fun one.
Middle Tennessee (Sep. 7)
The last time the Rebels faced Middle Tennessee was in 2001, when Ole Miss Football legend Eli Manning led the Rebels to a 45-17 win. Since then, Ole Miss has developed a fast-paced offense that includes quarterback Jaxson Dart, running back Ulysses Bentley IV and wide receivers Tre Harris III and Dayton Wade.
The Rebels should start the season 1-0 after playing Furman, and the offense should pull out a win without any degree of difficulty in week two.
@ Wake Forest (Sep. 14)
In the Rebels’ first away match of the season could be seen as a challenging trap game. Visiting in 2006 and hosting in 2008, Ole Miss stands at 0-2 in their matchups against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. In 2006, under the leadership of Ed Orgeron, the Rebels had standouts that included linebacker and Ole Miss Hall of Famer Patrick Willis, running back Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis and defensive back Jamarca Sanford. In 2008, under Houston Nutt, the Rebels had offensive linebacker Michael Oher and wide receiver Mike Wallace.
The Demon Deacons have typically been an average team. However, they look weaker going into this season, so the Rebels might end this game at 3-0.
Georgia Southern (Sep. 21)
Ole Miss last faced Georgia Southern in 2016, taking home a 37-27 win.
The Rebels and the Golden Eagles have a connection. When current Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin served as head coach at the University of Southern California in 2010, he hired Clay Helton as his quarterbacks coach. Helton then moved on to be head coach of Georgia Southern and will face Kiffin in Oxford.
Up against a well-rounded Rebel team, the Golden Eagles will have to work hard to fill holes on their team. Ole Miss should find success in this game and advance to 4-0.
Kentucky (Sep. 28)
SEC play starts with the Kentucky Wildcats rolling into Oxford. Last time the Wildcats paid a trip to Oxford in 2022, they were sent home by the Rebel defense in a fourth-quarter thriller.
Kentucky has some new pieces including quarterback Brock Vandagriff. A transfer from Georgia, Vandagriff is a solid passer. With speedster wide receiver Barion Brown on the outside, the Wildcats could test the Rebel defense.
Kentucky’s defensive line is also something to consider as they consistently apply high pressure against offenses right off the snap. The Rebels will have to rely on their passing game for this matchup, as the Wildcat secondary is the weak link on the defensive side of the ball.
This game might be closer than some think, but the Rebels ultimately should come out with a win and advance to 5-0 and 1-0 in SEC play.
Wrap-up
Ole Miss’ September slate looks easy on paper, so the team should be undefeated going into October. The Rebels have a chance to make a name for themselves early in the season with three non-conference games that may set the tone for subsequent SEC play.
