Halfway through the season, here are Ole Miss’ current bowl projections
OXFORD, Miss. — It’s a bye week and we’ve got a little time on our hands, so let’s take a look at where the bowl projections at the halfway mark of the season have Ole Miss headed.
The Rebels, currently 5-1, 2-1 in the SEC, are preparing to take on Auburn October 21 and just need one more win to become bowl eligible. Ole Miss has games remaining against Auburn, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Georgia, ULM and Mississippi State remaining.
CBS: Jan. 1 — Citrus Bowl
Matchup: Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten) vs. Ole Miss Rebels (SEC)
The Citrus Bowl is played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. Wisconsin is 4-1 overall and sits atop the Big Ten West division at 2-0. Interestingly, head coach Luke Fickell has an offensive coordinator Rebel fans will know as Phil Longo serves in that capacity for the Badgers. Longo served as the Ole Miss OC from December, 2016 until December, 2018.
Athlon Sports: Dec. 29 — Gator Bowl
Matchup: Louisville Cardinals (ACC) vs. Ole Miss Rebels (SEC)
The Gator Bowl will be played on December 29 at TIAA Bank Field located in Jacksonville, Florida. The Rebels and Cardinals last met on September 6, 2021 in Atlanta in the season opener that saw Ole Miss win, 43-24.
Currently, Louisville is half a game out of first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference, sitting at 6-0 overall, 3-0 in league play. (Florida State is 4-0).
Ole Miss players Jordan Watkins and linebacker Monty Montgomery transferred from Louisville.
USA Today: Dec. 29 — Gator Bowl
Matchup: Miami Hurricanes (ACC) vs. Ole Miss Rebels (SEC)
Ole Miss has only played Miami three times in school history and leads the series over the Hurricanes, 2-1. The last time the two teams played was in 1951, a 21-7 loss for the Rebels.
ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura Jan 1 — Citrus Bowl
Matchup: Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten) vs. Ole Miss Rebels (SEC) (See above description)
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach: Jan 1 — ReliaQuest Bowl
Matchup: Louisville (ACC) vs. Ole Miss (SEC)
The ReliaQuest Bowl is played in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (See above description for Louisville vs. Ole Miss matchup.)
In head coach Lane Kiffin’s three prior seasons in Oxford, Ole Miss has gone to three straight bowl games: Outback, Sugar and Texas. They’ll look to make it four straight as they begin the second half of the 2023 schedule next Saturday in Auburn.
Hotty Toddy!
David Walker
David is the consummate true-freshman quarterback, first pioneering the position only a year after college freshmen were given varsity eligibility by the NCAA in 1972. In 1973, the left-handed all-state gunslinger from Sulphur, Louisiana started for the Texas A&M Aggies and earned the All-Southwest Conference Freshman of the Year award as selected by the league’s coaches. David is the first college quarterback ever awarded Freshman of the Year in the NCAA. He was only 17, and still holds the NCAA record as the youngest starting quarterback in college football history. He wore No. 8 at A&M in honor of one of his football heroes, Archie Manning.
In becoming the winningest quarterback ever at A&M, David was converted from a dual-threat QB to a triple option trailblazer. The two-time team captain led three record-breaking offenses that changed the direction of football at A&M forever, establishing once and for all the winning tradition that the Aggies had so-long desired.
As a high school head coach in Houston in the late ‘80s, David stationed his quarterback in the shotgun formation, having him reading defenses and throwing hot routes at a time when such offensive schemes were frowned upon by traditional fans and coaches. One of his quarterbacks tossed 57 passes in a single game, which stood as the all-time Greater Houston Area record for many years.
As you can tell from his bona fides, David is extremely qualified as our expert on all things Quarterback at Ole Miss. Enjoy his exclusive analysis only here at The Rebel Walk!
