Lane Kiffin opened his SEC Media Day monologue by talking about the drawbacks of the transfer portal. While many of his points are accurate, the Rebels certainly aren’t struggling to land high-profile transfers, with 40 total newcomers on the team (including College Football Network’s top SEC receiver in Zahkari Franklin).
In our Ole Miss season predictions, we look at whether those additions can help the Rebels build on last year’s 8-5 record.
Ole Miss Season Predictions: Predicting the Game-by-Game Results
Using groupthink, College Football Network analysts have painstakingly gone through every game for every team in the SEC and across the country.
Picking these games straight up with a projected score using the rosters as up-to-date as the last spring practice, the Ole Miss season predictions indicate what fans can possibly expect for the Rebels in 2023.
Week 1 — Ole Miss vs. Mercer: Win, 44-14 (1-0)
Ole Miss eases into the season with a Week 1 matchup against FCS Mercer. I expect Kiffin to stay true to form, meaning we may not know who the starting quarterback is until the minutes leading up to game time. It shouldn’t matter much in this one as both guys will play, and both guys should have success against the Bears.
Week 2 — Ole Miss @ Tulane: Win, 29-27 (2-0)
It will be important for Ole Miss to answer some of their questions against Mercer because they have one of the tougher Week 2 matchups in the SEC, going on the road against last year’s AAC champion Tulane Green Wave.
While the Green Wave lose a few key contributors, quarterback Michael Pratt returns, and Willie Fritz’s squad is still deep. Oliver Hodgkinson and Cam Mellor gave this one to Ole Miss, but I took Tulane in a close one.
Week 3 — Ole Miss vs. Georgia Tech: Win, 35-21 (3-0)
Ole Miss finishes the back half of its home-and-home with Georgia Tech in Oxford in Week 3. The Yellow Jackets are still in a bit of a no man’s land after transitioning from the triple option several years ago. Ole Miss should have better athletes across the board and should be able to take this one fairly easily.
Week 4 — Ole Miss @ Alabama: Loss, 24-33 (3-1, 0-1 SEC)
The Rebels start the SEC slate with a bang, drawing Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Much has been made of the Crimson Tide’s quarterback situation this season, and I think that’s detracted from a lot of people realizing how strong their defense is this season. We all have the Rebels dropping this one by about two scores.
Week 5 — Ole Miss vs. LSU: Loss, 28-37 (3-2, 0-2 SEC)
The Rebels draw LSU at home in the midst of a brutal second quarter of the season. These will be several physical games, and Ole Miss will need to figure out how to score an easy touchdown or two to help itself out. All of us have the Rebels dropping this one to a very talented Tigers team.
Week 6 — Ole Miss vs. Arkansas: Win, 29-26 (4-2, 1-2 SEC)
This is a vastly important game on a number of levels for Ole Miss. Losing to the Razorbacks at home could mean an 0-3 start in the conference and could possibly signal the beginning of a downward spiral in 2023. Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson is one of the best in the conference, and the Landshark defense will need to defend against both his arm and his legs.
Week 8 — Ole Miss @ Auburn: Win, 30-29 (5-2, 2-2 SEC)
The Week 7 bye week could not come at a better time for the Rebels. After three of its hardest games of the season, the Rebels get a chance to rest and reset.
Directly out of the bye week is a road game at an Auburn team that we really don’t know that much about. The Tigers should be improved under Hugh Freeze (in reality, it’d be hard not to improve), but questions at the quarterback position and along the offensive line may limit their potential.
Mellor gave this to the Tigers, while Hodgkinson gave it to the Rebels. As the tie-breaking vote, I have this as a 31-30 win for the Rebels.
Week 9 — Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt: Win, 34-21 (6-2, 3-2 SEC)
Ole Miss gets a slight reprieve when Vanderbilt comes to town, but the Commodores are a vastly improved team under Clark Lea. Still, all three of our analysts gave this one to the Rebels, and there’s not a ton of concern among our staff that they’ll drop this one.
Week 10 — Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M: Win, 30-25 (7-2, 4-2 SEC)
Ole Miss catches a break in the schedule, as Texas A&M is a completely different team away from home. Here, I think the difference is my lack of trust in Conner Weigman. I believe that the Rebels have the upper hand, though Mellor disagrees.
Week 11 — Ole Miss @ Georgia: Loss, 21-32 (7-3, 4-3 SEC)
Ole Miss catches no breaks here, drawing Georgia as its rotating SEC East foe. The Bulldogs are supremely talented and should once again have a hold on the conference. Georgia’s defense may be nearly as good as in 2021, and Ole Miss may struggle to move the ball.
Week 12 — Ole Miss vs. UL Monroe: Win, 42-10 (8-3, 4-3 SEC)
Aside from having one of the cooler mascots in college football, the Warhawks won’t provide much trouble or distraction for the Rebels before the Egg Bowl. Jaxson Dart or Spencer Sanders or whoever is the quarterback at this point in the season should have a big game in an easy win.
Week 13 — Ole Miss @ Mississippi State: Loss, 22-23 (8-4, 4-4 SEC)
Let’s get weird in everyone’s (read: my) favorite Thanksgiving tradition. The Egg Bowl is always fun, but I’d argue it’s at its best when both teams are good, not great. This could be for a winning season or bowl eligibility for one or both teams, and our analysts treated it as such. Mellor has the Rebels, while Hodgkinson and I leaned toward the home Bulldogs.
