OXFORD, Miss. — Early bowl projections are setting expectations for Ole Miss football’s 2024 campaign, and national analysts see a return trip to Nashville on the horizon.
While Rebel fans tend to enjoy a good party, a bowl trip to the Music City might be a downer for some. Expectations are higher every summer these days.
Multiple outlets, including CBS Sports and On3’s Brett McMurphy, project the Rebels to face Illinois in the 2025 Music City Bowl. The game is set for December 30 at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN, placing Ole Miss in a familiar postseason slot against a Big Ten opponent.
Though not part of the New Year’s Six lineup, the Music City Bowl reflects a solid outlook for a program entering a transitional year. Oddsmakers have set Ole Miss’ win total at 8.5, signaling expectations of an 8-4 or 9-3 season, likely enough to secure a mid-tier bowl matchup.
Since it’s hard to predict everything from goofy officials’ calls to weird bounces of the ball there’s always a game or two that could launch the Rebels into the College Football Playoff.
The possible pairing with Illinois brings a compelling subplot: former Ole Miss quarterback Luke Altmyer now starts for the Illini. Altmyer transferred after the 2022 season and would be facing his old teammates for the first time.
The Rebels will turn to Austin Simmons at quarterback following Jaxson Dart’s departure to the NFL. Simmons, a former baseball and football prodigy, will operate in a more traditional offensive system under Lane Kiffin than Dart or Matt Corral did. His ability to adapt will be central to the team’s offensive rhythm.
On defense, Pete Golding returns as coordinator and is cautiously optimistic about the unit’s progress.
“I don’t think we’re going to fall down from where we were ,” Golding said on a social media Fireside Chat with Rebels basketball coach Chris Beard. “We’ve got a really talented group.” However, he also acknowledged that nine defensive backs missed spring practice, which could impact early chemistry.”
Despite those concerns, the Rebels return a solid front six and added multiple transfers on the defensive line. Golding’s group helped Ole Miss to an 11–2 finish in 2023, capped by a Gator Bowl win over Penn State.
If the Music City Bowl projection holds, it would be the Rebels’ first appearance in Nashville’s postseason game since 2013.
