This season has been unpredictable for Ole Miss Football. While the Rebels entered as a confident playoff contender, they have fallen in games that are crucial in their playoff path.
The team started strong by dominating unranked non-conference teams but has now lost two out of three games during SEC play. In the games the Rebels lost to LSU and Kentucky, Ole Miss was favored to win both. A victory in Columbia against South Carolina was the Rebels’ lone SEC win.
Ole Miss has five SEC games left to play this season. After this week’s bye, Oklahoma will come to Oxford the last weekend of October. Both the Sooners and the Rebels are 1-2 in SEC play. Last weekend, Oklahoma was destroyed 34-3 by top-ranked Texas in the annual Red River Rivalry.
Following the Oklahoma game, Ole Miss will go back on the road, traveling to Fayetteville to play the Arkansas Razorbacks, who are 2-1 in SEC play. Ole Miss has not beated Arkansas in Donald W. Reynolds Stadium since 2008. The last time the Rebels faced the Razorbacks in Fayetteville, Ole Miss left with a 42-27 loss.
The Rebels will welcome the Georgia Bulldogs to Oxford on Nov. 9 for what could be their biggest matchup this season. The Bulldogs, ranked in the top 10, fell short in a dramatic comeback against Alabama, struggled to beat Kentucky and most recently defeated Mississippi State 41-31 at home.
The last time the Rebels and the Bulldogs met, Ole Miss suffered a 52-17 loss in Sanford Stadium with a packed crowd and College GameDay present.
After a second bye week on Nov. 17, the Rebels will head to the Swamp to face Florida on Nov. 23. Last weekend, the Gators came close to defeating No. 8 Tennessee, losing 23-17 in overtime, which has left them with a 1-2 record in SEC play. The last time Florida and Ole Miss faced off was in 2020, which ended with the Rebels losing 51-35 at home.
Closing out the regular season, the Rebels will host Mississippi State for the annual Egg Bowl on Nov. 29. The Bulldogs are currently last in the SEC rankings, but this game will nonetheless be a fierce rivalry matchup.
For the Rebels to have a chance of reaching the newly expanded 12-team football playoff this year, they will have to win out the remainder of the season. Otherwise, there is still a possibility of a bowl game if they win at least one more game this season.
