Something’s amiss with Ole Miss, but the Rebels look capable of getting back on track this Saturday in Norman. Last week's collapse against Georgia was alarming, and Oklahoma deserves credit for handling business in Gainesville, however, Ole Miss still possesses the talent and veteran leadership needed to put a disappointing performance behind them.
Both the Sooners and the Rebels struggled when they faced what is now the nation's top-ranked team, the Georgia Bulldogs. The difference is that Ole Miss hosted Georgia, while Oklahoma had to travel to Athens. That said, it's actually at home where the Sooners have run into trouble lately. Since October 17, they've dropped games to Kentucky and South Carolina in Norman while picking up road victories over Mississippi State and Florida. Outside of a signature win over Texas, Oklahoma's only other home victory was a 14-6 slugfest against New Mexico. With those recent trends in mind, a talented Ole Miss squad presents another difficult challenge in Norman.
Ole Miss and QB Trinidad Chambliss are undoubtedly still dwelling on last week's loss to Georgia, but that disappointment should serve as motivation rather than a distraction. While unlikely, the Rebels still have an outside path to finish the season ranked among the nation's top 12 teams, even at 9-3. To keep those hopes alive, it starts with a win in Norman. This line opened at Ole Miss -1.5 and now sits just short of a field goal on some books, with further movement toward the Rebels certainly possible before kickoff. I expect a competitive battle, but Ole Miss appears to be the better team and should ultimately prevail by as many as five or six points. With the number still sitting at -1.5, the value is simply too good to ignore.
Oklahoma vs Ole Miss prediction: Ole Miss Rebels -1.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -3.5 (-115).
