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OXFORD ― Leading into one of the most anticipated Ole Miss football seasons in recent memory, the bookmakers have set the Rebels’ preseason win total at 9.5.
Should they beat that mark, they likely will find themselves in the field for the first 12-team College Football Playoff. Should they fall short, they could find themselves in a second-tier bowl game, wondering where it went wrong.
Which games will be the most influential in deciding whether the Rebels flourish or flop in 2024? Here are five make-or-break games for coach Lane Kiffin’s team.
At South Carolina, Oct. 5
With respect to Wake Forest (Sept. 14), which went 4-8 in the ACC last season, the Gamecocks will be the first real road test for Ole Miss. There’s a bit of potential symmetry lurking here for the Rebels. The last time they were a preseason top-10 team — as most assume they will be in 2024 — the Rebels managed 248 total yards and lost a 16-10 slugfest in Columbia in 2009.
Ole Miss is better than a South Carolina team that will be replacing Spencer Rattler at quarterback. Significantly so, for that matter. This game will act as an initial barometer as to whether Ole Miss can make that gap show on the road in the SEC.
At LSU, Oct. 12
In 2023, an instant classic win over the Tigers acted as the season’s defining moment. The 2024 matchup looks like it could carry similar weight. The Rebels can lose in Baton Rouge and still achieve their stated goal of making the College Football Playoff.
But if they go to Tiger Stadium and win — something they haven’t done since 2008 — they would make a national statement and open the path toward SEC title contention. If everything goes as planned for Ole Miss early on, this is the game that will show us what this team is capable of.
Vs. Oklahoma, Oct. 26
The Rebels and their new conference peers have never met in the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/5-games-ole-miss-football-100353297.html
Author : The Clarion Ledger
Publish date : 2024-06-03 10:03:53
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