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Is it finally time for Ole Miss football to become one of the elite teams in the SEC? The 2024 season has the potential to be the most important in Rebels history.
Perhaps never in the history of the storied southeastern program has there been as much promise and hype as there is heading into the upcoming 2024 season. Ole Miss has more or less always been considered a second- or third-tier program in the SEC. But that doesn’t seem to be the case in 2024.
Ole Miss football is coming off its best season in program history after earning 11 wins for the first time. Head coach Lane Kiffin has done his best to ensure that a similar or better record happens this season, as the No. 6 Rebels are primed and brimming with talent throughout their roster.
Many believed last year was the peak for Ole Miss football, and Kiffin and his staff have their work cut out for them to replicate their success in the new-look, 16-team SEC. Undoubtedly, if there is going to be a season for Ole Miss, it’s this one, new look conference or not. So, let's make our final Ole Miss football predictions for the 2024 season.
Ole Miss football is undefeated going into the Georgia game
As mentioned, the stars are aligned for Ole Miss this season to truly do something special. That includes having a very favorable schedule. The Rebels have the 41st-ranked strength of schedule, with the 14th toughest out of 16 teams in the SEC, according to College Football Network.
Ole Miss has just three preseason top 25 opponents on its schedule, which they’ll face in a four-week span. Those teams are No. 13 LSU, No. 16 Oklahoma, and No. 1 Georgia. The first month should be a cakewalk for this team with games against Furman, Middle Tennessee State, Wake Forest, and Georgia Southern. October is when SEC play begins, starting with Kentucky and then on the road against South Carolina. Those teams combined for 12 wins last season.
Traveling to LSU and then returning home for Oklahoma will be no easy stretch, but it's not impossible with a team this talented. Should the Rebels go 9-0 with Georgia coming to town the following week, it will likely be the biggest game in Ole Miss football history if the Bulldogs are still a top-ranked team. It would be a statement win for Kiffin.
Ole Miss football makes the SEC Championship Game
The last time Ole Miss could claim they were SEC champions was in 1963, before the conference even held title games to determine the winner. Ole Miss has never played in the SEC Championship Game since its inception in 1992.
For the regular season, there’s no Alabama on the schedule, and even if there were, Nick Saban is retired. There’s also no Texas or Tennessee. Instead, there are four SEC opponents on the schedule that didn’t make a bowl game last year (Mississippi State, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Florida).
The only thing that could hold Ole Miss out of the SEC title game this year is themselves and if they can’t garner enough conference wins. Like most, they can afford probably one loss, which would most likely come against Georgia, who they would likely meet again in the SEC Championship.
Ole Miss football wins at least one playoff game
The new 12-team College Football Playoff is meant for teams like Ole Miss that have been just on the cusp of becoming a top-four team. Winning the SEC Championship would be a massive accomplishment, but even if that doesn’t happen, the Rebels would still be competing in the first round as one of the 5-12 ranked teams.
Given that they’re in the SEC, the committee could favor Ole Miss over other teams, which would likely give them a home playoff game. That alone gives Ole Miss an immediate edge, as the fans in Oxford would be elated.
Looking at the talent level of this year’s team, which boasts players like quarterback Jaxson Dart, wide receiver Tre Harris, and transfer portal pickups such as defensive tackle Walter Nolen and edge rusher Princely Umanmielen, the Rebels should be good enough to earn at least one playoff victory and advance to the next round.
The thing to be mindful of if you’re Kiffin is that this would be quite the month for Ole Miss. They’d go from having Georgia at home, then Florida on the road, then the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State, then potentially the SEC title game against Georgia or Texas, and then a playoff game. That’s a tough stretch.
