2024 Ole Miss Football Schedule Preview (GAME-BY-GAME ANALYSIS)

hello again Chris Lee and Chase Robinson here continuing our series of SEC schedule previews today we get to the Old Miss Rebels Chase Old Miss has got an interesting slate on one hand it is one of the easier slates in the SEC this year easier always being relative because it's the SEC there's never an easy schedule but on the other hand Old Miss is gunning for a playoff this year I think anything less than that would be a disappointment in Oxford and certainly probably going to be a little less tolerance for some losses with the schedule the rebels play compared to some of the other teams going to be very interesting do see how Miss handles the expectations and how it handles the schedule yeah it really is and uh it's it's one of those years playoff or bus for Old Miss um we've we talked before we we got on here and you know we're we're curious what what strength of schedule will play into what the committee uh does for the 12 team playoff that's been a big part of I think some years of who got in the 14 playoff and who didn't and so I'm curious we're curious of of what what tolerance they have for strength of schedule heading into the playoff I think that's going to be interesting to see because that could play in to a team like Old Miss some teams I think could lose one or two games to like the playoff with Old Miss with the schedule that they have will that be the case well we'll have to see before we get into the schedule reminder it's brought to you by bet online your number one source for all your summer Sports this season from MLB golf the NBA and NHL playoffs all the latest stats news and scores available to follow your favorite teams get the latest odds and lines including the latest team matchups player props and odds on just about every sport out there head to the website today or use your mobile device to get in on the action bet online the game starts here all right let's take a look at the OM Miss schedule I'm going to pull that up I know the rebels are going to start with FM an FBS team that went 10 and three last year so not one of the Cakewalk FBS games that you were excuse me FCS opponents that you might see on some schedules but at the same time hey who are we kidding if if this is a game or a firm and upset then then we could pretty much scrap all playoff talk right there yeah you know this is a game you know oh miss it'll be the opener they are really excited about this season and so I think this is a chance for them to go out and and put kind of a start the season with an exclamation point and and show people what their hopes and dreams are this season so you know like you mentioned this is this not a bad team but I think Old Miss is going to want to go out there and uh and really and really show the world that hey we are for real put us in the playoff talk and I think they can do that uh with with putting a big uh some big numbers up against against Ferman and you think about the first two games of the Season uh you know against Middle Tennessee State the following week uh Derrik Mason former Vandable head coach now at Middle Tennessee uh we'll see what he can do there but I think these first two games are really good games to to fine tune everything before you get into the rest of the year before you get into the SEC play and so um you get both of those in Oxford Mississippi and so I I think um it's a good first two games for the uh for the rebels to see kind of where they're at yeah week two Middle Tennessee State not a familiar opponent for the rebels they last played in 200 that's their only meeting oh miss won that one I think 45 to 17 but as you mentioned Derrik Mason former Vanderbilt coach will be on the sidelines of that one I'm kind of keeping together some Power Rankings based on to some one to 134 ratings I'm using Lindy's Athlon SP plus ESPN some of those and and MTSU checks in at number 117 of 13 four as we do this in the summer I'll add some more as we get them Phil steel and some others but wouldn't expect Middle Tennessee State to budge far from that number so again should be a two and0 start up next Wake Forest a team that's been tricky at times uh but seems you know it seems like some of wake's better days or maybe a little bit in the rearview mirror wake expected to be kind of a middle of the pack FBS team this year that the power rankings that I'm putting together have got them at 74 four so again should be a case and and weight can be tricky offensively at times with that slow mesh offense it runs but you would expect the rebels to be three and0 after this one yeah I think so and uh this will I think be the biggest challenge in the first four non-conference games uh but still you know how much of a challenge it's it's yet to be seen uh but yeah this an interesting matchup you know that that this is their kind of their big non-conference game if you will you know you think of some of the other uh Georgia starts off with Clemson Alabama is up at Wisconsin um Auburn has Cal and you know and this is kind of the bigger non-conference game for Old Miss and wake four so we talked about their schedule I think that's a good draw in a in a in a big non-conference game having Wake Forest yeah one thing you'll not of this schedule all four of the non SEC games are right off the bat next one Georgia Southern which is around 102 in this thing I'm putting together so again another game where the rebels will be heavily favored and and another night game here yeah and again you mentioned the the 49 conference games are are first four games of the year and so again they'll have a chance to kind of fine-tune everything get uh get ready for the SCC portion of things but uh yeah four four straight non-conference games uh three of them at home I think that's really good for old mes next up Kentucky o SEC opener for the rebels this be nice and hot an 11 o'clock kickoff which I know all the fans really love those when when just baking in in the third and fourth quarter actually be baking at 11 what do we make of this one chase you know and I want to point this out really quick um the reason I asked Chris to pull this graphic up was to show the game times because I think it's really interesting for Old Miss we have at 11 o'clock here against Kentucky uh and then the Oklahoma Arkansas both early kicks Florida's early kicks and then there's a couple of flexs now imagine the Old Miss Georgia game is not going to be an 11:00 a.m. game it'll probably get the night or the afternoon but I could see Old Miss South Carolina being the being the early time slot so that's a lot of early games for the Old Miss Rebels which really surprises me uh especially looking at everybody else's Windows they didn't get this many early games so uh that's interesting to me maybe it's because the schedule I don't know but this Kentucky matchup specifically you mentioned it's an early uh kick it's in Oxford Mississippi which I think is good because this has been a tricky matchup for Old Miss over the years and now I don't think Kentucky is is the Kentucky team that they were maybe three four years ago uh but I still think this is a pretty good team we still are figuring out what they are with Brock Vander but uh I you know this has been a tricky matchup for all Miss in the past very winnable game especially being at home in the first conference game but um you know ky's going to want to try to to spoil what Miss thinks is going to be a playoff season so this could be an interesting conference match up right off the backr yeah last two times uh last time this team these teams played excuse me 2022 Old Miss won that one 2219 the previous match up was 2020 Old Miss lost that one excuse me won that one in Lexington 4241 and the game before that 2017 was a 3734 game so the last three games it have been super entertaining when these teams have hooked up all right next up is we get halfway through the schedule South Carolina in that Flex spot coming up on October the 5th so this will be what that'll be yeah six straight weeks out of the gate with the ball game for the rebels yeah you know and we we talk about the schedule for Old Miss and and how it appears to be one of the relatively easier schedules in the conference but I think this is one of the more tricky games on the schedule for Old Miss having the go to Columbia South Carolina that's a tough place to play we've seen a lot of teams fall there uh in Columbia so uh this is a October 5th matchup uh you you're you've got some games under your belt but you haven't seen really really good competition at this point we don't think not to discredit any of the other teams but you're coming off a game of Kentucky you really learned a lot about your team in the previous week uh but this South Carolina game to me is tricky for Old Miss having to go to Colombia uh again it's a matchup with it with South Carolina being a former East team old miss being a former West team that we haven't seen a ton of uh in in the past but I think this could be a tricky game for the rebels there on the road especially with two straight road games we'll look at the other one in a minute but two straight road games first one being Columbia South Carolina it could be tricky for the rebels yeah these are not two teams that play a lot they played in 2009 with South Carolina winning one 16 10 next time didn't play till 2018 that's that's a incredibly long Gap and then of course 2020 the last match up Old Miss won that 5142 all right another game out of the gate without a break at LSU this is a night game I I think this will absolutely be one of the key games of the Rebel season and probably for LSU also I really think so this could be this could be a make or break game for for both teams really because I think LSU has their eye on the playoff too uh and I think if if their defense is is better than it was last year they very well could be you know a top five SEC team and maybe in the playoff and so this this could be a huge game for both uh it's going to be tough traveling to Baton Rouge again like it says there a night game um we've seen some really entertaining games between these two uh as of late last year all Miss got the win 5549 but we've seen some absolute shootouts between Miss and LSU the last couple of years uh two really good offenses and uh I think this could be an excellent game middle of the season but one of the most important games like you mentioned I think for both teams because Old Miss does have Georgia coming up they do have Oklahoma those those will be two challenging games so if you're old Miss you've got to get a win here if you want to shot at the playoff so it could be definitely makeer break uh on uh October the 12th there in Baton Rouge yeah finally a by week and then Oklahoma comes to town on the 26th and that's I think that's going to be one of the more fun matchups of the Year both teams expected to be I I guess a good way to say they're bread will be buttered probably more on offense than defense yeah I I would I would agree with that and uh you know at this point I think um Oklahoma will be in a pretty good spot as well uh heading into uh this game so uh let's see they'll be coming off uh Oklahoma will be coming off a game with South Carolina uh before they they go to Oxford Mississippi Texas the previous week so they will have played a a gauntlet of an SEC schedule up until this point because they have Tennessee at Alburn Texas South Carolina and then Old Miss Oklahoma does so that's that's a tough start to their SEC schedule and so um they're they're going to have some they're going to be battle tested uh heading into this one uh so that'll be interesting uh to to see how Oklahoma handles this going into Oxford Mississippi but again this could be a very important game and I think this is a good uh good time for an off week heading it between LSU and Oklahoma to have a chance to to have a breather I think could be really big yeah another early kickoff of next week in fville Arkansas Sam Pitman will kind of be on the hot seat coming into this year weather should cool off by that point so you want to have one of those 92 degre kickoff things that we all love and appreciate with those early kicks so this this would be an interesting one to see where Arkansas is at that point of the season and the Razer backs will have played at Mississippi State and LSU the two prior weeks yeah you know this is a game we we really don't know where Arkansas will be at at this point we really don't know what what to expect from the Razorbacks really heading into the season much less at this point of uh of the the year in November so you know this is a game um Old Miss if they are as expected you know this should this should be a win for the rebels but again the two previous conference games are going to be brutally tough and then you you make it South Carolina that on the road that's also very tough so uh you know if there's a couple of losses for Old Miss you know where where's their head at at this point coming into this matchup with Arkansas but if they're smooth sailing and and um and haven't lost a game then you know I think this could be another uh week that that Old Miss just rolls on but um you know it's I think this game may depend kind of on what has happened in previous games yeah yeah November 9th should be one of the biggest games in Oxford probably in decades I mean you can maybe Circle some of those Alabama contests but let's be honest I'll miss most your not in the four playoff a contender getting this point with a 12 team playoff a little more leeway for Grace I would say oh miss if it can win this one against Georgia and Oxford that that'll be a sign of a lot of things including probably a go ahead and punch your tickets uh for a playoff birth boring a collapse the next two weeks yeah I would agree with that and and uh again if Old Miss is what we think they are what I think they are I think uh they will have not lost a game at this point heading into the Georgia matchup which again I think because I think Georgia will be in the same boat um I think this will be kind of the game of the year uh one of the games of the year uh in the SEC because you know the the winner is going to be in the driver's seat um you know if things go you know the way all Miss wants it would they have a shot at Georgia again in the SEC Championship if if both teams are there you know even with a loss it's hard to see how that's going to play out with with the other teams competing in the SEC but this should be a great matchup now we're we're still waiting to see that really big win for Lane kein uh you know he's had some good wins but we're waiting really for that big breakthrough win for kein this could be it uh this could be it for him if he was able to beat Georgia in Oxford Mississippi and um and I think that would that would definitely propel Old Miss and give them a lot of confidence heading into the postseason yeah next up a by week and then this is kind of interesting um you know Florida should be a game that Miss should win but it's on the road and and this and the power ranking of God is is Florida's the fourth toughest game M Miss has got this year according to no do I believe that not necessarily but I'm just going to tell you what's out there and of course this would be a very interesting time for Billy Napier uh he may or may not still be the coach at Florida at this point or or maybe about to not be the coach potentially depending on how this one goes but an 11 o'clock kickoff in Gainesville in a very interesting spot where Miss will need to avoid a let down here right that's that's the I think one of the biggest things there and with there being an off week I think will help that case but um yeah you go into the swap crazy things can happen and you know you know I think a lot depends on where Florida's at you know what what has happened to them you know what's the situation with Billy apier what's their record heading into this game are they still you know have they given up are they still fighting you know all that I think we will play big into a late November matchup with these two teams but anytime you go into the swamp and maybe they're playing uh with a lot of heart at this point you know they're you know you see some teams that maybe things haven't gone their way but they see a team that they can spoil chances on well that Florida could play the spoiler here so I think this is a game that om Miss definitely has to be ready for especially with being on the road and then one of the biggest rivalries in college football maybe not one of the more publicized nationally but certainly one of the more heated ones the Egg Bowl Old Miss in Mississippi State this one is in Oxford Rebels according to Mississippi state's website lead the series 6746 and six last time out all Miss W 17 to7 against a very offensively challenged Mississippi State team the year before old excuse me State won that one followed by Two Old Miss wins the previous year I think we remember what happened in 2022 I think that was the the year um where you had a crazy ending but in any case um yeah uh always big when these two teams play I think Jeff leby will have gotten his feet underneath him and what is going to be a little bit of a tough rebuild this year uh but this one always fun to watch it is rivalry games are like that I mean you know and it it always causes some interesting games and I think this will be too you know uh what will state be at this point what will om Miss be at this point I think it doesn't matter in a game like this uh it's a rivalry game um you know it's an afternoon game uh this year I uh they've typically played this uh you know on on Thanksgiving uh I think they've moved it uh off of Thanksgiving to to Black Friday uh but still I think it's going to be a really fun game it always is throw out the records really with any rivalry game and I think that's the situation here and again Old Miss has got to win this one we we've said this a lot they've got to win this one if they want to shot at the playoffs because of the the teams they you know fac in the last month so I think this will be big for uh for Old Miss to get some get a nice Propel into the the postseason if they can win this one my apologies 2019 was the game that I was thinking the uh the interesting leg lift celebration I'll just leave it at that and of course the last time these two teams played um in Oxford that was Mike leech's last game as everybody remembers in a tragic soon be a tragic ending to his career but yeah chase looking forward to seeing the rebels this year especially that game at LSU that game with Georgia two very interesting uh test to see if the rebels have arrived at the place where I think their fans hope the program has arrived at heading into the season and and not just the fans a lot of national pundits too yeah and you know there there's a lot of talk about old Miss can they live up to that I think they have the roster the talent to do that Jackson Dart a third-year quarterback Lane kein has never had a third-year quarterback I think that will help them tremendously heading into this season but it should be a fun year uh for the Old Miss Rebels we'll be here to cover it we're doing this schedule preview in around mid June so in case has changed here just know that but we will be here to cover the rebels wall toall during football season also basketball and baseball Seasons so hope you will join us subscribe to our Channel that's easy to do and it's free for Chase Robinson I'm Chris Lee we are South Eastern 14 presented by bet online