The dreams of the Rebels’ playoff chances have died after the 12-team College Football Playoff rankings were released on ESPN’s Selection show on Sunday. Ole Miss ranked No. 14.
With the CFP field set, where does Ole Miss stand? There are three bowl games the Rebels could play in.
247 Sports has the Rebels playing the Duke Blue Devils in the Gator Bowl. If this outcome ends up being accurate, then it would be the first time the Rebels have played in the Gator Bowl since 1991. That was the year the No. 15 Rebels lost to the No. 12 Michigan Wolverines.
The Gator Bowl has been around since 1946 when Wake Forest beat South Carolina. It is always a matchup between a SEC team and an ACC team. Even with the presumable opt-outs that will inevitably come, this matchup should heavily favor the Rebels as the Blue Devils’ offense has been somewhat lacking this year.
Sports Illustrated has the Rebels playing in the ReliaQuest Bowl, formerly known as the Outback Bowl, against the Michigan Wolverines. If this was the outcome, it would only be the second time Ole Miss has played in the bowl game, the first time being in 2021 with quarterback Matt Corral, in which the Rebels beat the No. 7 Indiana Hoosiers.
The ReliaQuest Bowl has been around since 1986, originally being called the Hall of Fame Bowl, in which Boston College beat Georgia. It is a matchup between the SEC and the Big Ten, with Michigan and Ole Miss being the two teams in this scenario. This matchup is pretty bad for the Rebels if as many players opt out as everyone thinks will. The defense would be without a lot of starters, especially on the defensive line, and Michigan loves to run the ball. They have 1,923 rushing yards on the year as a team. The Rebels should win this game no matter the scenario but it could be close if certain players don’t play.
The final scenario is CFN’s prediction which has the Rebels playing in the Citrus Bowl against the Illinois Fighting Illini. If this ends up being the case, it would be the first time that Ole Miss would play in this bowl game.
The Citrus Bowl has been around since 1947, formally known as the Tangerine Bowl, in which Catawba beat Maryville. Like the ReliaQuest bowl, it is a matchup between the SEC and the Big Ten. The matchup against Illinois would be interesting, as former Rebel quarterback Luke Altmyer would be playing against his former team. No matter the players on the field, Ole Miss should be able to handle the Illini.
