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'Way-too-early' analysis of the Rebels' daunting 2020 schedule
'Way-too-early' analysis of the Rebels' daunting 2020 schedule
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Ole Miss running back Snoop Conner (Photo: OMA)
Lane Kiffin and his Ole Miss Rebels will face a daunting stretch of games in his first year at the helm in Oxford. Today, we categorize those contests for a team that should challenge to return to the postseason...
The 'put-in-the-win-column' games...
Sat. | Sept. 12 | Southeast Missouri | Oxford
Sat. | Oct. 24 | UConn | Oxford
Sat. | Nov. 21 | Georgia Southern | Oxford
Though Kiffin and Company will be given a long leash this fall, these are three games where failure is simply not an option. An SEC team should never lose to an FCS program, though unfortunately, we know it can happen. UConn will be rebuilding from a 2019 season that saw the Huskies post a miserable 2-10 record with wins over Wagner College (who?) and Massachusetts. Georgia Southern posted a 7-6 record in the Sun Belt Conference, losing a bowl game to Liberty. The Eagles just won't have the firepower to hang with the Rebels.
The 'ought-to-win' games...
Sat. | Oct. 10 | Vanderbilt | Nashville
Sat. | Nov. 14 | Arkansas | Fayetteville
This is not to discount the Commodores or Razorbacks, but the Ole Miss program, not without shortcomings of its own, simply appears to be in a better spot than these two SEC brethren. Vandy usually puts up a fight and the 'Dores have stolen a few from the Rebels' recently, so there's that. Arkansas can't help but being improved over last year under first-year head coach Sam Pittman. Neither of these games give you a warm and fuzzy feeling, but we have to expect Ole Miss, with most of its offensive talent returning, to win both of these SEC road contests, especially if there is an eye on the Rebels returning to postseason play.
The 'toss-up' games...
Sat. | Sept. 5 | Baylor | Houston
Thurs. | Nov. 26 | Mississippi State | Oxford
The season-opener versus Baylor could be the tone-setter for the entire season. It's on a neutral field and could be positioned to be a prime time, televison affair. A win by Ole Miss in Houston virtually assures a 2-0 start to the Kiffin era with SEMO coming to Oxford the next weekend. As for Mississippi State, it's the Egg Bowl, where records and home field advantage can be thrown out the window. The Bulldogs, under first-year head coach Mike Leach, are somewhat of an enigma right now, but there will be some rebuilding going on within the program.
The 'would-take-an-upset' games...
Sat. | Sept. 19 | Auburn | Oxford
Sat. | Nov. 7 | Texas A&M | College Station
Ole Miss played both of these teams to the wire last season. The Rebels had the football with a a chance to win at Auburn and a costly fumble against Texas A&M turned the tide in Oxford. There's no reason to believe Ole Miss can't stand toe-to-toe again with these SEC West cousins. They get Auburn at home, but must face A&M on the road. A win over either team would likely be considered an upset, but it is within the realm of logical thinking to believe it could happen.
The 'bridge-too-far' games
Sat. | Sept. 26 | LSU | Baton Rouge
Sat. | Oct. 3 | Alabama |Oxford
Sat. Oct. 17 | Florida | Oxford
We are about to see if defending national champion LSU has recruited well enough to be like Alabama and simply reload every season. The Tigers' roster was decimated by graduation and early departures to the NFL over the off-season, and this series has historically been unpredictable. Still, though, it's hard to fathom Ole Miss improving enough and LSU dropping off enough to see the Rebels sneak one out of Red Stick. The very next weekend the Crimson Tide come to Oxford, and they'll obviously have something to prove after "only" winning 11 games last season. The Florida Gators could be dark horse contender for a national title this fall, and it's simply too soon in the Kiffin era to expect Ole Miss to not be bitten by the Gators.
The 'way-too-early' analysis...
The 2020 Rebels ought to be a team to compete for a bowl berth, though it will require them to take care of business against every opponent it should and at least win one of the above-listed toss-up games. It is also not beyond the possibility of this group, as dynamic as they should be on offense, of pulling off an upset or two along the way.
SOURCE: Johnson, David. "'Way-too-early' analysis of the Rebels' daunting 2020 schedule." OMSpirit - 247Sports.com, 11 February 2020,
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