The Ole Miss Rebels take on the Vanderbilt Commodores. Check out our college football odds series for our Ole Miss Vanderbilt prediction and pick.
The Ole Miss Rebels made the Sugar Bowl last year and are unbeaten this year. They are thriving under head coach Lane Kiffin. It must be the offense, right? It must be a high-octane approach with big scores and huge numbers, right? Wrong. The real reason Ole Miss has been so good under Kiffin is that Kiffin has learned a thing or two about how to coach a full team, not just his offense. Kiffin has been able to create a culture of toughness in which everyone is accountable and focuses on the task at hand. Ole Miss sometimes lets loose on offense, but a lot of the biggest wins of Kiffin's tenure at Ole Miss have been built on the strength of a defense which carries the workload and makes huge, game-defining plays. It happened last year at Tennessee, and it happened this past weekend veruss Kentucky. Ole Miss came up with massive red-zone stops and was able to fend off the Wildcats late in the game. A shot of Ole Miss' defensive coaches in the press box went viral after the Rebels made a game-sealing stop against Kentucky. This is how Ole Miss is getting the job done: on both sides of the ball, with toughness and resolve more than flash and dash.
The Vanderbilt Commodores were hammered by Alabama two weeks ago. After getting punished physically by the Crimson Tide, the Commodores needed a week off to heal and go to the film room to study how they fell short. They will hope that their experience against Alabama gives them information and real-world knowledge which will translate to this game against Ole Miss. Vanderbilt has won three games this season, an encouraging forward step for second-year head coach Clark Lea, who is trying to remake the VU program and restore the Dores as a force to be taken seriously in the SEC. However, Vanderbilt has not yet won an SEC game this season. That will be a tougher, truer test of this team and where it stands in the world of Southern football. An upset of Ole Miss would be a seismic event. We'll see how close Vanderbilt can come to a program-changing victory.
Here are the Ole Miss-Vanderbilt NCAA Football Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Ole Miss-Vanderbilt Odds
Ole Miss Rebels: -16.5 (-115)
Vanderbilt Commodores: +16.5 (-105)
Over: 61.5 (-114)
Under: 61.5 (-106)
Why Ole Miss Could Cover the Spread
The Rebels, as mentioned above, have a defense which just won't quit. It's easy to look at the offensive side of the ball when evaluating a Lane Kiffin-coached team, but Ole Miss has a rugged, tough defense which makes important plays and has demonstrated considerable consistency. The Rebels were not at their best on offense against a good Kentucky defense. Playing Vanderbilt should open up more opportunities for the Mississippi offense, led by USC transfer quarterback Jaxson Dart. It is true that Dart has been erratic in recent games, but Vanderbilt could be the get-well potion Dart needs to improve his season and prepare for the bigger battles which lie ahead.
Why Vanderbilt Could Cover the Spread
If Ole Miss beat Tulsa by only eight points earlier this season (35-27), a Vanderbilt team which handled Northern Illinois on the road and owns a 3-2 record through five weeks of play has a decent chance of keeping this game close and being competitive.
Final Ole Miss-Vanderbilt Prediction & Pick
Ole Miss' defense will limit Vanderbilt's output. The Rebels might not play a complete offensive game, but they're going to bust loose as long as they don't allow Vanderbilt to score. Ole Miss 34, Vanderbilt 10.
Final Ole Miss-Vanderbilt Prediction & Pick: -16.5
Follow Us
Subscribe