Hotty Toddy Gosh Almighty....The Ole Miss Rebels Are Going To The Playoff!
The biggest Ole Miss football season in school history is upon us! The Rebels finished 11-2 in 2023 capping off a huge year by thrashing Penn State in the Peach Bowl. There's NEVER been an energy around this program quite like right now. Lane Kiffin has lit this thing on fire and the season cannot get here fast enough.
Ole Miss has gone all in in every possible way entering 2024. Led by The Grove Collective, Ole Miss went HAM at the transfer portal raiding other SEC rosters. The Rebels added studs in DT Walter Nolen (Texas A&M) , LB Poo Paul (Ark) , Edge Rusher Princely Umanmielen (Florida), WR Juice Wells (South Car), RB Henry Parish (Miami (FL)), CB Trey Amos (Alabama) 4 offensive lineman (2 Washington, S Miss, UNC) 2 RBs & secondary help.
Jaxson Dart returns for the Last Dance in his 3rd season as the starting QB & is 12/1 to win the Heisman. Ole Miss has All American candidates in WR Tre Harris & TE Caden Preiskorn. This roster is absolutely LOADED with talent. The coaching staff added two massive hires in former Miss St Head Coach Zack Arnett & former NY Giants Coach Joe Judge. It is now or never for the Rebs especially with the new 12 team playoff.
Let's take a look at the key questions facing Ole Miss entering the fall…..
1) Can the new look offensive line become a stout unit?
In Ole Miss 2 losses, the Rebs got smoked up front by Alabama & Georgia. Hence going hard at the portal. LT Micah Pettus also returns along with some depth to join the transfers. This line has an absurd 221 career college starts so it won't be for a lack of experience. Are they elite tho? Will they come together? To get to the top level of college football, this unit has gotta be real good.
2) Will Ole Miss running game miss All American RB Quinshon Judkins?
The Ole Miss situation is very reminiscent of the NFL. The Rebels spent the money on the premier positions (OL/DL) and went for cheaper depth at running back. Ulysses Bentley returns after breaking out in 2023. The Rebs also added solid depth in the portal as I mentioned. They should be fine here and I am not overly concerned about replacing Judkins production.
Dart also can move and will carry some of the load too.
3) How much can the Rebels defensive line dominate?
On paper, the situation looks very promising. DT Walter Nolen is All SEC level in the middle and will be flanked by two 5th years in Jared Ivey & Jeremiah Pegues. Size ain't gonna be a problem and people will be shook watching the Rebs come off the bus. Add in Princely Umanmielen & rising star sophomore Suntarine Perkins off the edge and this unit could be one of the best in college football.
The Rebs look pretty solid at LB, have two good safeties plus promising CB depth to round out what potentially could be a really strong defense.
The difference between this season and the rest is the Rebels FINALLY have the guys in the trenches to get to the top of college football. Most of the roster is also in their 20s with a ton of experience.
The schedule is extremely favorable for a third 10 win season in four years and a playoff berth. Lane Kiffin will say this is rat poison saying this but the Rebs basically have 4 preseason games in September to open in Furman, Middle Tennessee, at Wake Forest & vs Georgia Southern.
Kentucky comes to Oxford to open SEC play before the Rebs travel to South Carolina. They should be fine in both and head to Baton Rouge at 6- for a MASSIVE showdown on Saturday night in Death Valley vs. LSU. The Tigers will be ready coming off a bye and the environment will be super charged. I am going to give LSU this one in a nail biter as revenge for the 55-49 Ole Miss thrilling win in Oxford last year.
Off a bye, the Rebels bounce back at home vs. Oklahoma in what will be quite the entertaining football game. All Ole Miss fans always wince at the trip to Fayetteville as it has been unkind historically but I cannot see this year's Arkansas bunch having enough fire power to hang with the Rebs this fall.
Ole Miss wil be 8-1 when the preseason top ranked Georgia Bulldogs come to Oxford for one of the biggest home games in school history. Georgia destroyed Ole Miss 52-17 in Athens last year and it is time for some freaking payback fellas! The Rebels new offensive and defensive lines are good enough for Ole Miss to beat UGA in an epic game to get to 9-1.
There is a well timed 2nd bye week following UGA so the Rebels should not get trapped in The Swamp in late November. Florida has a good offense but who knows what Billy Napier's situation will be like at that point? Ole Miss gets it done then smokes Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl as Brandon Walker throws temper tantrums for 3 hours.
The Rebels FINALLY get to Atlanta for the first time for the SEC Championship against Georgia in a rematch. In what should be another classic, I have the Bulldogs on top in this one and Ole Miss finishing 11-2 with the #6 seed hosting a college football playoff game in Oxford on Dec 21st.
Let's get down to business shall we?!?!