OXFORD ― Leading one of the most anticipated old lady In recent football seasons, bookmakers have set the Rebels’ preseason win total at 9.5.
If they surpass that mark, they will likely take the field for the first 12-team College Football Playoff. If they fail, they could find themselves in a second-tier bowl game, wondering where it went wrong.
Which games will be most influential in deciding whether Rebels thrives or fails in 2024? Here are five decisive games for coach Lane Kiffin’s team.
In South Carolina, October 5
As for Wake Forest (Sept. 14), which went 4-8 in the ACC last season, the Gamecocks will be the first true road test for Ole Miss. The last time they were a preseason top 10 team — as many assume they will be in 2024 — the Rebels put up 248 total yards and lost a 16-10 slugfest at Columbia in 2009.
Ole Miss is better than a South Carolina team that will replace Spencer Rattler at quarterback. Significantly, by the way. This game will act as an early barometer for whether Ole Miss can make that gap appear on the road in the SEC.
At LSU, October 12
In 2023, an instant classic victory over the Tigers was the defining moment of the season. The 2024 clash appears to carry similar weight. The Rebels can lose in Baton Rouge and still achieve their stated goal of making the College Football Playoffs.
But if they go to Tiger Stadium and win – something they haven’t done since 2008 – they will make a national statement and pave the way for the SEC title game. If everything goes as planned for Ole Miss from the start, this is the game that will show us what this team is capable of.
vs. Oklahoma, October 26
The Rebels and their new conference peers have never met in the regular season, with a 27-25 Ole Miss victory in the 1999 Independence Bowl serving as the only historical statistic. This news will generate intrigue. But even without that context, this has the potential to be a big problem. ESPN’s SP+ metric ranks the Sooners as the 15th team in the country heading into the summer.
To get where the Rebels want to go, you need to win your home games against quality opponents, and the Sooners qualify as such.
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vs. Georgia, November 9
That’s it O decisive game for Ole Miss, with a Georgia team that could be the preseason No. 1 heading to Oxford for the first time since 2016 — coach Kirby Smart’s first season in charge of the Bulldogs. The Rebels executed their offseason transfer portal evolution with this game in mind, after Georgia physically defeated Ole Miss in a 52-17 loss in Athens last season.
The Rebels have acquired size in the trenches that they hope will give their skilled players a better platform to shine in precisely this type of game. Will it work?
vs. Mississippi State, November 29
On paper, this looks like a game Ole Miss should win handily. It has a more talented roster than the Bulldogs, who are rebuilding under first-year coach Jeff Lebby. But anyone who knows the Egg Bowl knows that this game is not played on paper. Given Ole Miss’ preseason expectations, it’s easy to foresee a scenario in which the Rebels need a Black Friday win to secure their spot in the College Football Playoff — or perhaps even the SEC title game — with Mississippi State ready to play spoiler. It’s always a game full of tension. Expect this to level up in 2024.
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
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This article originally appeared in the Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss 2024 football schedule: 5 decisive games for Lane Kiffin
