Previews and Predictions: No. 18 Ole Miss hosts Oklahoma

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss football returns to the field in hopes of picking up some much-needed momentum. The Rebels are 5-2 overall and 1-2 in SEC play and will take on Oklahoma Saturday at 11:00 a.m. The Sooners are also trying to right the ship as they hit the road following a 35-9 shellacking by South Carolina last weekend

Despite facing some hurdles with injuries on the offensive line, Ole Miss statistically has one of the top offenses in the country. The unit is second in the nation in total yards per game, and quarterback Jaxson Dart leads a passing attack that currently ranks third in the country.

(Click here for Friday night Availability Report)

Oklahoma, on the other hand, is looking to find some answers at this stage in the season, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. The Sooners are 4-3 on the year and 1-3 in their first season in SEC play. The Sooners have shuffled QBs throughout the season, and this week relieved offensive coordinator Seth Littrell of his duties.

The new playcaller may be a familiar face to Ole Miss fans as former Rebels passing game coordinator Joe Jon Finley takes over. Finley was with Ole Miss for the 2020 season before heading to Norman.

So what happens in Saturday’s game?

The Rebel Walk has put together a group of panelists who are weekly sharing their predictions for the upcoming game. Our panel brings a variety of perspectives that showcase many different points of view.

Game Details 

• Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 26th 11:00 AM CT
• TV: ESPN
• Radio:OleMissSports.com
  • Memphis: WHBQ-AM 560
  • Oxford: WOXF-FM 105.1
  • Jackson: WFMN-FM 97.3
• Betting Odds:  Ole Miss -18.5; O/U 49.5  (as of Friday night)

The Leaderboard

Kam Wicker (The Rebel Walk): 13 Points  

Grayson Weir (BroBible): 11 Points  

Adam Brown (The Rebel Walk): 11 Points 

TJ Oxley (The Rebel Walk): 14 Points  

Zach Moreth (The Rebel Walk): 7 Points

Caleb Salers (Supertalk Mississippi): 4 Points

Scoring Metric and Panel Predictions

Scoring: Each panel member can earn a total of six points per week.

• One point will be awarded for correctly picking the winning team outright.
• Two points will be awarded if the predicted score is within 7.5 points total. There is a caveat to this. For example, if a panel member says that a team wins the game 21-0 and that team loses 0-21, the total score is technically within 7.5 points. However, points will only be awarded if the score is close to the prediction (i.e. – a score of 24-3 has a total of 27 and is within 7.5 points of 21).
• Lastly, a panel member will be awarded three points if his prediction is correct.

With that being said let’s get to the predictions as Ole Miss returns after the BYE to host Oklahoma.

Grayson Weir, Bro Bible

Score: Ole Miss 35 — Oklahoma 13 

Prediction: Caden Prieskorn anytime TD

Oklahoma has a new play-caller after the firing of Seth Littrell, but Jackson Arnold still has to deal with a lack of depth at wide receiver with Deion Burks trending downwards. The Sooners will not be able to achieve much in the passing game and as the saying goes if you have two quarterbacks, you don’t have one.

Ole Miss’ defensive front is going to be much healthier than it has been in recent weeks, which will be a real problem for one of the worst offensive lines in the country. The Rebels will record at least three sacks.

Ole Miss is going to score two early touchdowns in the first half, which will effectively put the game out of reach for a struggling Oklahoma offense, Caden Preiskorn will finally get back in the end zone.

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Kam Wicker, The Rebel Walk

Score: Ole Miss 31 — Oklahoma 13

Prediction: Ulysses Bentley IV rushes for 100+ yards and tallies two total TDs

The Ole Miss defense has another chance to make a statement against a struggling Sooner offense. Combined, the OU quarterbacks have been pressured (and sacked) more than any other SEC quarterback. With Princely Umanmielen back in the lineup, expect the Rebels to find their way into the backfield early and often. The Rebel offense has struggled of late to finish games; however, that won’t be the case Saturday as the defensive game is closed out by the Ole Miss offense finding its footing once again.

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Zach Moreth, The Rebel Walk

Score: Ole Miss 20 — Oklahoma 7

Prediction: Jaxson Dart passes for 300+ yards and 2+ passing TDs

Ole Miss will respond in a low-scoring battle against Oklahoma. Both defensive fronts have numerous potential NFL talents, whether it’s Walter Nolan and Princely Umanmielen on the Ole Miss side or R Mason Thomas and Gracen Hilton for Oklahoma. Despite the impressive OU defense highlighted by Danny Stuntsman, the Rebels are returning several offensive lineman which I believe will do just enough to get them the win. Ulysses Bentley IV will be the x-factor in this game, rushing for over 90 yards aiding in the passing attack by Jaxson Dart who will also have a big game.

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Adam Brown, The Rebel Walk

Score: Ole Miss 28 — Oklahoma 17

Prediction: Ole Miss will have a strong running game from Henry Parrish.

The Rebels will pick up the win against Oklahoma as Parrish will run for over 120 yards and two touchdowns. Ole Miss’ defense will give the Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold trouble as he tries to get the ball to his receivers. Walter Nolen and JJ Pegues will have big games for Ole Miss, while Jaxson Dart will throw for over 210 yards and a couple of touchdowns.

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TJ Oxley, The Rebel Walk

Score: Ole Miss 31 — Oklahoma 14 

Prediction: Ole Miss Defense Tallies 10+ Tackles For Loss

The Oklahoma offense will be a bit different with a new play caller and Jackson Arnold returning as the starting QB for this one. Arnold has a tough task at hand as the Sooners are down five wide receivers, including star Deion Burks who was ruled out in Friday’s availability report.

That inexperience on the perimeter creates an exciting opportunity for the Ole Miss defense who loves to blitz and be aggressive. Look for the Rebels to capitalize on that with the likes of ‘Pooh’ Paul and Khari Coleman. EDGE Suntarine Perkins has been a machine at pressuring opposing offenses, and with Princely Umanmielen back in the fold as he returns from injury, Ole Miss will look to get after Arnold a lot.

On offense, Ole Miss needs to capitalize on consistently scoring points. They can benefit from establishing the run earlier behind what appears to be a somewhat healthier offensive line after the bye week.

The Rebels control this one by setting the tone early. Look for the defense to be all over the Sooner backfield.

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Caleb Salers, Supertalk Mississippi

Score: Ole Miss 34 — Oklahoma 6 

Prediction: Cayden Lee with 100+ receiving yards, ‘Pooh’ Paul leads Ole Miss in tackles

Ole Miss looks to regain its offensive mojo and find more success than it had in its last home SEC outing. With Tre Harris’ injury likely to play a factor in his production, expect Cayden Lee to receive some more targets. Lee ends the game with 100+ receiving yards and a score. On defense, ‘Pooh’ Paul will lead the way in tackles as he makes life for Jackson Arnoldo tough throughout the game.