The Ole Miss Rebels may not have to face the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2024, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be some electric games on the schedule.
Ole Miss faces some of the usual suspects this season such as Mississippi State, LSU and Arkansas, but it will also take on Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Florida in the conference slate. Some of these meetings will be bigger than others in the grand scheme of the college football season, and two of the matchups recently drew national attention.
On3’s Jesse Simonton released his version of the SEC’s Top 10 games in 2024, and two of Ole Miss’ matchups made the cut: at LSU (Oct. 12) and vs. Georgia (Nov. 9). The LSU game came in at No. 6 on the list while Georgia’s sat at No. 10. You can view an excerpt from the LSU portion of the story below.
“Last season’s game between the Rebels and Tigers were a Disney fireworks show — a 55-49 final with more than 1,300 total yards. LSU lost a game in which its Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels had over 500 total yards and five touchdowns.” — Simonton
The piece goes on to state that this game provides the Rebels with an opportunity for a marquee win in a less-than-grueling schedule (by SEC standards). Knocking off LSU on the road would go a long way in Ole Miss’ quest for a College Football Playoff berth this season.
The second game on the list for the Rebels is what they hope to be a revenge game against the Georgia Bulldogs. Ole Miss was dominated a season ago in Athens for one of Lane Kiffin’s two losses in 2023, but this game will take place in Oxford and has the potential to turn the campus into a proverbial zoo in November.
“Under Kiffin, the Rebels have been really good in recent years winning the games they’re supposed to. Now can they engineer a home upset and possibly secure a spot in the CFP (and SEC Championship?)” — Simonton
Simonton also highlights that the loss at Georgia a season ago motivated Kiffin to improve production in the trenches through the portal, and the Rebels have done just that by adding some of the top offensive and defensive linemen available in the transfer market.
Ole Miss has never reached the SEC Championship Game since its advent in 1992, and the school’s last conference title came in 1963. This trip to Atlanta doesn’t carry as much weight as in previous years thanks to the new 12-team College Football Playoff, but either way, this game against Georgia could be huge for the Rebels, if their earlier games go according to plan.
The Rebels will open their season at home against the FCS Furman Paladins on Aug. 31.
Source link : https://www.si.com/college/olemiss/football/fireworks-two-ole-miss-matchups-highlight-top-sec-games-of-2024-01j2hpwd0am5
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Publish date : 2024-07-11 16:36:47
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