OXFORD — Two games separate Ole Miss football from a potential spot in the College Football Playoff.
The No. 9 Rebels (8-2, 4-2 SEC) are playing a must-win game against Florida (5-5, 3-4) on Saturday (11 a.m., ABC). Coach Lane Kiffin’s team is No. 9 in the College Football Playoff rankings, but likely cannot afford a loss at Florida.
The Gators are coming off their first ranked win of the season. Florida beat LSU 27-16 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway returned last week for Florida after missing UF’s previous game due to injury. Lagway, a five-star recruit, threw for 226 yards and a touchdown against the Tigers.
Here’s what to watch for:
Arguably the top transfer portal addition the Rebels got this year came directly from Florida’s defensive line.
Defensive end Princely Umanmielen, who transferred to Ole Miss from Florida, has nine sacks. It’s the most of any player on Ole Miss’ stacked defensive line and No. 5 nationally.
Florida has been good a protecting its quarterbacks this season. The Gators have allowed 13 sacks, which is tied for the best mark in the SEC.
The Rebels are expecting to get their star receiver back. Senior wideout Tre Harris is probable on the injury report and Kiffin essentially penciled him in to start against Florida.
Harris has been sidelined with a lower-body injury and has not played since the Rebels lost to LSU on Oct. 12. Even if he doesn’t feel 100%, a lessened version of Harris is still a formidable task for defenses to plan against.
Despite his limited playing time, Harris has an SEC-high 987 receiving yards. He is fifth nationally. The Gators have allowed 236 yards per game, which is third worst in the SEC.
There’s no doubt Kiffin would be happy to leave The Swamp with a win of any variety. The Gators have enough talent to hang with good teams and just knocked off an LSU team that beat Ole Miss.
If the Rebels are in position to win big, though, will Kiffin go for it? There are five two-loss teams in the SEC, and each of them, Ole Miss included, will look to differentiate itself down the stretch.
The Rebels put up 63 points against Arkansas. If the Rebels can couple a similar offensive explosion with a good defensive performance, it would serve to make a statement in a way a one-score win wouldn’t.
Ole Miss 30, Florida 14: The Rebels are in the College Football Playoff bracket right now but would be well served to win big against Florida. Ole Miss is coming off its most complete game of the season and had a bye to get healthy. The Rebels are set up to play well again.
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
