The Rebels may be a favorite today in Nashville, but I am not sure I know many Ole Miss fans who are comfortable going into this game with Vanderbilt.
First and foremost, this game has a lot of heartburn from past seasons. It’s a game that is traditionally closer than expected, and there’s been some wild comebacks and dramatic finishes we could go on ad nauseum about those games.
Secondly, there’s the weather dynamic of wind gusts in the 30-40 miles per hour range plus some rain during the game that could impact both offenses ability to operate normally. Couple that with Ole Miss’ defensive issues most of the season and this game could be like a cow on roller stakes on a frozen lake – unpredictable but going to end up ugly.
Finally, both of these teams really need this win. Vanderbilt is on a losing skid after staring 3-0, but you also have to take into account one of those wins was one of the most improbable finishes ever. The Dores should be 2-3, but they aren’t because they will never stop coming for the win. At home, it will be a contest where Ole Miss has to knock them out repeatedly to avoid a comeback.
Ole Miss needs to finally flush the Florida blowout loss and get back into thinking about each game as a chance to advance to the playoffs. Any loss at this point could derail those hopes, so the pressure will be on every week from here on out. How this team handles it will define Pete Golding’s first season as head coach.
