Ole Miss is looking to take a big step forward this college football season. Although the schedule this year doesn’t seem to be as demanding as last year, the season promises to be exciting.
The Rebels will not play their traditional rivals Alabama and Auburn this season, but will face SEC newcomer Oklahoma in Oxford. This year, each SEC school’s schedule features eight conference games, with at least one opponent coming from the Big 12, Big 10, ACC or a major independent. The SEC East and SEC West divisions will also be eliminated.
The Rebels will play some non-conference games to begin the 2024 season. They will first host Furman on August 31. SEC play begins on September 28 with a home game against Kentucky. Here are the September schedule predictions.
Furman (August 31)
Furman will face the Rebels in Oxford for the first time since 1902, and this time around, Ole Miss and its squad have never looked better. With an improved defense and many returning offensive starters, the first week should be exciting.
Middle Tennessee (September 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 victory. 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 the game against Furman and the offense should win in the second week without any major difficulties.
@ Wake Forest (September 14)
The Rebels’ first road game of the season could be considered a challenging game of catch. Ole Miss visited in 2006 and hosted in 2008. In their games against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, they are 0-2. In 2006, the Rebels, led by Ed Orgeron, had outstanding players including linebacker and Ole Miss Hall of Famer Patrick Willis, running back Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis and defensive back Jamarca Sanford. In 2008, the Rebels, led by Houston Nutt, had offensive linebacker Michael Oher and wide receiver Mike Wallace.
The Demon Deacons have always been an average team, but they seem to be getting weaker this season, so the Rebels may end this game 3-0.
Georgia Southern (September 21)
The last time Ole Miss faced Georgia Southern was in 2016, when they won 37-27.
The Rebels and the Golden Eagles have a connection. When current Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was the head coach at the University of Southern California in 2010, he hired Clay Helton as his quarterbacks coach. Helton then became the head coach at Georgia Southern and will face Kiffin in Oxford.
Against a well-rounded Rebel team, the Golden Eagles will have to work hard to fill the gaps on their team. Ole Miss should be successful in this game and move to 4-0.
Kentucky (September 28)
SEC play begins with the Kentucky Wildcats marching into Oxford. The last time the Wildcats traveled to Oxford in 2022, they were sent home by the Rebel defense in a fourth-quarter thriller.
Kentucky has some new players, including quarterback Brock Vandagriff. Vandagriff, who transferred from Georgia, is a solid passer. With speedy wide receiver Barion Brown on the outside, the Wildcats could test the Rebels’ defense.
Kentucky’s defensive line is also something to consider, as they consistently put a lot of pressure on the offense right after the snap. The Rebels will have to rely on their passing game in this matchup, as the Wildcat secondary is the weakest link on defense.
This game might be closer than some think, but the Rebels should emerge victorious and move to 5-0 and 1-0 in SEC play.
Packing
Ole Miss’ September lineup looks simple on paper, so the team should be undefeated in October. The Rebels have a chance to make a name for themselves early in the season with three non-conference games that could set the tone for subsequent SEC play.
