Predicting Ole Miss’ 2018 Football Season

Ole Miss is an interesting team entering the 2018 season. In the face of college football scandal last year the Rebels could easily have folded. Instead, they closed out the season strong, posting a 3-1 record over their last four games with an Egg Bowl win over Mississippi State capping off the year in style.

The transfer of quarterback Shea Patterson to Michigan won’t slow down the offense, but does the defense have enough pieces to keep every game from developing into a shootout? Anything from 5-7 to 7-5 will be fine for a fan base that sees the team rebuilding after a slew of transfers has left little to nothing available to back up the first 22 on the depth chart.

By Steve Wright

September

9/1/18 Texas Tech (in Houston) – It’s a neutral site opener, but it is one that should have plenty of folks from Lubbock in the stands. This is a game that looks like it will be close the entire way, but the Ole Miss offense will have too much for the Red Raiders down the stretch. Ole Miss 30, Texas Tech 24.

9/8/18 Southern Illinois – This is a game where Ole Miss fans should get to see the reserves get plenty of action. It will also be a game where we see flashes of the potential of JuCo running back transfer Scottie Phillips. Ole Miss 45, Southern Illinois 14.

9/15/18 Alabama – The Rebels issues against the run last year were well documented. Finishing 124th out of 130 teams against the run in the FBS is not a good look. Neither is having the freight train that is Alabama coming into town in Week 3. Ole Miss 24, Alabama 31.

9/22/18 Kent State – This is another game where the Ole Miss offense should have too much for the opposition. A team that has won more than six games in a season just once in the last 30 years shouldn’t stand a chance in Oxford. Ole Miss 42, Kent State 10.

9/29/18 @ LSU – This is a winnable game and it is one that the Rebels will need to win to keep the momentum of a solid first month going. If the LSU offense hasn’t yet figured out its identity by this point then flip the scores here and give Ole Miss a big win. Ole Miss 20, LSU 28.

October

10/6/18 Louisiana Monroe – Nothing to see here as the Rebs immediately get back to winning ways. Ole Miss 38, ULM 21.

10/13/18 @ Arkansas – This one has every chance of being a shootout. Jordan Ta’amu will move the ball on Arkansas, but do the Rebels have the linebackers to stop the Hogs new up-tempo offense. This might be a more difficult game than the LSU clash in terms of upset potential. Ole Miss 38, Arkansas 45.

10/20/18 Auburn – This is another game where the Rebs will realize that being in the SEC West sucks. Auburn is a legit CFP contender this fall, but Mississippi will push them all the way in another shootout before falling just short. Ole Miss 35, Auburn 42.

10/27/18 BYE

November

11/3/18 South Carolina – The SEC West is so much better than the SEC East. South Carolina is projected to be the second best team in that division, but it is hard to see how Jake Bentley and company hang with the Rebs scoring power. The receivers will shine in this one and home field advantage will be the difference maker. Ole Miss 34, South Carolina 30.

11/10/18 @ Texas A&M – Jimbo Fisher is looking to make a big impression during his first season in College Station. He has 16 returning starters to work with and by this date he should have his quarterback situation figured out and the Aggies will be rolling. A&M won in Oxford last season and Fisher would be expected to improve on that team. Ole Miss 21, Texas A&M 35.

11/17/18 @ Vanderbilt – Kyle Shurmur is a good quarterback – he passed for 26 touchdowns in 2017 – and Derek Mason needs a big season out of his Commodores. Even so, this feels like a game Mississippi should win given that this late in the season the offense should be on fire. Ole Miss 38, Vanderbilt 28..

11/22/18 Mississippi State – Will a lack of depth hurt Mississippi down the stretch? The Rebels are fortunate that the last month features two winnable games, but the glut of transfers out of the school has to come into play at some point. Facing a Mississippi State team that returns 17 starters from a 9-4 squad will be that point. Ole Miss 24, Mississippi State 41.

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