Looking ahead to Ole Miss' 2020 schedule

Welcome to Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin.

While the excitement of the arrival of Kiffin to Oxford has been palpable this month, it has also been an almost needed distraction from the 2020 schedule that awaits his Ole Miss Rebels. The honeymoon for the hope Kiffin brings to a program hungry for a return to the levels of national success it achieved as recently as just five seasons ago will most certainly continue deep into the new year, but gravity could set in quickly once next season finally arrives.

Four of the Rebels' first five games come against opponents currently ranked No. 1, No. 7, No. 12 and No. 13 in the Associated Press Top 25. Those teams, all with bowl games still to play, own a combined record of 43-7 this season. Extending things out a little further, Ole Miss plays the team currently ranked No. 9 in the nation on week seven, meaning five of their first seven games come against teams ranked no lower than No. 13 in the current AP Top 25.

While the Ole Miss defense will require some re-tooling up front and on the back end, Kiffin does inherit an offense that returns as many as nine starters, depending on how you line it up. The Rebels were also close to winning several more games than their 4-8 record indicates, with one-score losses to nationally-ranked Memphis, Cal, Texas A&M, Auburn and Mississippi State last season, all programs which qualified for the postseason bowl parade.

While we're not predicting outcomes just yet, today we take a look at Ole Miss 2020 schedule with some food for thought on each game. Despite the degree of difficulty of the schedule, we see a possible pathway to at least six victories and a return to the bowl season. Agree or disagree? We'd like to know in the comments section...

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The Baylor Bears (Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports, USA TODAY Sports)

Week 1
Ole Miss vs. Baylor
When: Sat., Sept. 5
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas (AdvoCare Texas Kickoff)
The Skinny: For the second time in three years Ole Miss will open in Houston versus a Big12 opponent. The Rebels defeated Texas Yech, 47-27, in the 2018 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff. Ole Miss and Baylor have met one previous time, a 20-10 Bears victory coming at Waco in 1975. This game provides a national stage for the dawning of the Kiffin era in Oxford. A win might be looked upon as a must considering what lies ahead after a week two cupcake game.

Week 2
Southeast Missouri State at Ole Miss
When: Sat., Sept. 12
Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
The Skinny: Ole Miss should not feel guilty, at all, for this game versus an FCS opponent, especially considering the level of difficulty of the front half of its 2020 schedule. This will be Kiffin's first game to coach inside the Vaught, and Rebel Nation will be there in swarms to watch a big victory.

Week 3
Auburn at Ole Miss
When: Sat., Sept. 19
Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
The Skinny: Imagine if the Rebels start the season 2-0 under Kiffin as Auburn comes to town. If that happens, this will be the moment when it really feels like big time college football and relevancy has returned to Ole Miss. The Rebs almost stole one from Auburn on the road last season. There's no reason to think this game shouldn't be competitive.

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LSU head coach Ed Orgeron (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
 
Week 4
Ole Miss at LSU
When: Sat., Sept. 26
Where: Tiger Stadium (Baton Rouge)
The Skinny: Perhaps it will be a trip to the defending national champions. Depending on Ole Miss' start, it could be a game the nation is paying attention to...or not.

Week 5
Alabama at Ole Miss
When: Sat., Oct. 3
Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
The Skinny: The nation will be fascinated by the first Nick Saban/Lane Kiffin matchup following their breakup several seasons ago in Tuscaloosa. Go ahead and hire the babysitter, as this one has 2:30 p.m. CT, CBS kickoff written all over it. Tickets ought to be hard to come by.

Week 6
Ole Miss at Vanderbilt
When: Sat., Oct. 10
Where: Vanderbilt Stadium (Nashville)
The Skinny: It's a testament to the difficulty of the schedule when a road game at an SEC opponent has to be considered one of the Rebels' most winnable games through mid October. And it won't be easy. It's rarely easy with Vandy, last season being the exception.

Week 7
Florida at Ole Miss
When: Sat., Oct. 17
Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
The Skinny: Welcome back to Mississippi Dan Mullen. The Vaught continues to host some of the nation's top programs on this weekend. With home games versus Auburn, LSU and the Egg Bowl, Florida's visit to Oxford just adds to what is a killer season ticket for Ole Miss to sell for the fall.

Week 8
UConn at Ole Miss
When: Sat., Oct. 24
Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
The Skinny: At least it isn't Alabama, LSU, Auburn or Florida...UConn posted a 2-10 record last season. Let's all welcome the Huskies from New England to falltime Oxford. And thank them for not being ranked inside the top 10.

Week 9
Open Date
When: Sat., Oct. 31
The Skinny: Trick-or-treating is wide open this year. Healing up will probably be welcomed by the Rebels.

Week 10
Ole Miss at Texas A&M
When: Sat., Nov. 7
Where: Kyle Field (College Station)
The Skinny: Seriously, a road trip to one of the nation's most well-heeled programs with limitless resources strikes us as one of the more winnable games listed on this murderer's row. Seriously. The schedule-makers seemed to have conspired with the NCAA for an extended punishment for Ole Miss.

Week 11
Ole Miss at Arkansas
When: Sat., Nov. 14
Where: Donald W. Reynolds Stadium (Fayetteville)
The Skinny: Same as the Vanderbilt game above: One of the best chances at a victory is on the road in the SEC. That's no slight to Arkansas, but again, just how ridculously tough this schedule is.

Week 12
Georgia Southern at Ole Miss
When: Sat., Nov. 21
Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
The Skinny: A respectable G5 opponent visits Oxford. Ought to be a win...Has to be a win.

Week 13
Mississippi State at Ole Miss
When: Thurs., Nov. 26
The Skinny: Kiffin's first taste of one of the nation's greatest rivalries. There will likely be something more than bragging rights on the line for one team or both.


SOURCE: Johnson, David. "Looking ahead to Ole Miss' 2020 schedule." OMSpirit - 247Sports.com, 26 December 2019, https://247sports.com/college/ole-miss/Article/Looking-ahead-to-Ole-Miss-2020-schedule-141109374/