As No. 10 Ole Miss prepares to host A&M, here are other games Saturday that could affect the Rebels’ ranking
OXFORD, Miss. — The College Football Playoff (CFP) Committee has released its first Top-25 poll of the 2023 season and Ole Miss ranks No. 10 in the country. The Rebs host Texas A&M this weekend in a must-win game as they look to continue their SEC West quest. There are quite a few additional games Saturday that could certainly affect the next rankings and, therefore, the season. Let’s take a look at these matchups.
LSU at Alabama
The first of these contests is LSU (13) vs. Alabama (8). The Crimson Tide is favored by 3 points, and it’s no secret why after defeating Tennessee by 14 in their last game.
For Ole Miss, LSU leaving Bryant-Denny Stadium victorious would be massive. Not only could Ole Miss jump Alabama in the CFP rankings, but the Rebels would also be in a tie for first place in the SEC West with LSU and Alabama. So, while I hate to say it, Rebel fans might want to wear purple and gold on Saturday night. Kick-off is at 6:45 on CBS, and as of this writing (Wednesday at noon) Alabama is a 3-point favorite.
Oklahoma at Oklahoma State
The next matchup that could largely impact the Rebs occurs between Oklahoma (9) and Oklahoma State (22) at 2:30 on ABC this Saturday.
The Sooners, who previously defeated the Texas Longhorns (7) in week six, are coming off a loss to the Kansas Jayhawks (21) and will need to recover quickly heading into a stadium that holds over 13,000 more, while playing in the Bedlam series, an all-time instate rivalry.
Ole Miss fans should collectively root for Oklahoma State in hopes that, with a Sooners loss, the Rebs can at least gain one spot in the CFP rank. Oklahoma is a 6-point favorite over the Cowboys.
Missouri at Georgia
Moving into our third contest, let’s take a look at the Missouri Tigers (12) against the Georgia Bulldogs (2). Georgia was surprisingly ranked behind Ohio State (1), but if the Bulldogs do their job this weekend, they will quickly regain possession of the No. 1 spot. I point out this game because if Georgia wins and becomes the best team in the country, Ole Miss has an opportunity the following week to defeat a team that has not lost a game in almost two years.
On the other hand, if Mizzou pulls out a win, they will most likely shoot up the rankings into the top 10, and the relative importance of Ole Miss vs. Georgia will have dropped somewhat. So, before we start preparing to try and beat Georgia, let’s all hope head coach Kirby Smart’s team can do its thing and get a win on Saturday. As of Wednesday, Georgia is a 15.5-point favorite over the Tigers.
Kansas State at Texas and Washington at USC
Two additional match-ups that can’t hurt to pay attention to will be Kansas State (23) against Texas (7), as well as Washington (5) vs. USC (20). For obvious reasons, Ole Miss fans should pull for Kansas State and USC in an attempt to move Texas and Washington down in the rankings, ultimately giving the Rebs a better chance to take their spot later in the season.
As of today, Texas is a 4-point favorite over K-State, while Washington is a 3-point favorite over the Trojans.
Despite all of these games having an effect on Ole Miss’ rank, the most important thing for Lane Kiffin’s team this Saturday is to win and go 1-0 this week. Texas A&M is winless in its last eight true road games, and Kiffin has yet to be defeated by A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher while Kiffin has served as the Rebels’ head coach. Ole Miss is currently favored by three points.
Ole Miss vs. A&M Game Info
Ole Miss and Texas A&M kick off at 11 a.m. and the game can be seen on ESPN. On Saturday morning, SEC Nation will be live from the Grove at 9 a.m. with Marty and McGee at 8 a.m.
