Ole Miss might have lost some control over its College Football Playoff hopes Saturday in Austin, but the Rebels still have one significant advantage working in their favor.
They won’t have to spend much time on the road for the rest of the regular season.
Four of Ole Miss’ final five games will be played at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, where its won 15 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in the nation. That stretch of games includes three important SEC matchups against Auburn, Georgia and Mississippi State.
For a team trying to avoid falling out of favor with the CFP selection committee, that’s a pretty fortunate scheduling break.
Especially considering what’s happened away from Oxford this season.
Ole Miss has suffered both of its losses on the road, falling to Florida in Gainesville and Texas in Austin. Meanwhile, the Rebels are undefeated at home, including impressive victories over LSU and Missouri.
That’s not to say playing at Vaught-Hemingway guarantees anything. But it’s certainly better than having to travel to Auburn, Athens or Starkville with the season potentially hanging in the balance.
And as Pete Golding explained Monday, the benefits of playing at home extend well beyond having 60,000-plus fans cheering for the Rebels.
“I think, number one, the routine of the week, the extra hours from a preparation standpoint that I think sometimes gets overlooked, not having to go on the road, all your meetings being in your facility, normal places and spaces and all those things,” Golding said.
That’s an advantage fans probably don’t think about very often.
No worrying about travel schedules, unfamiliar facilities or getting players adjusted to a different environment.
Just a normal week of preparation in Oxford, something that becomes increasingly valuable when you’re trying to correct mistakes and prepare for another difficult SEC opponent.
Then, of course, there’s what happens on Saturdays.
Golding pointed to the obvious advantages of crowd noise on critical downs, offensive communication and momentum.
“Once you start getting going and that crowd gets involved, it’s really hard to change that as a visitor,” Golding said.
Ole Miss knows that feeling from both sides.
The Rebels have experienced hostile road environments at Florida and Texas, and they’ve seen how difficult life can become for visiting teams at Vaught-Hemingway.
And Golding believes home-field advantage is particularly important this season, with SEC teams seemingly closer in talent than ever.
“When it does start getting close from a talent standpoint, especially this year more than ever, being at home with an elite crowd that impacts the game is a huge advantage,” Golding said.
That’s where the remaining schedule gets interesting.
Auburn comes to Oxford this Saturday, followed by Georgia on Nov. 7. After the Rebels’ lone remaining road trip to Oklahoma, they’ll return home to face Wofford and Mississippi State.
The Georgia game stands out, obviously. Having to beat one of the SEC’s premier programs is difficult enough without doing it between the hedges in Athens.
And nobody needs reminding that the Egg Bowl can get unpredictable regardless of either team’s record.
Getting to play those games in Oxford could make a considerable difference. There’ll definitely be less fans barking and not a single cowbell rung.
Of course, none of this matters if Ole Miss continues making the same mistakes that contributed to its losses against Florida and Texas.
Home-field advantage won’t fix missed tackles, blown assignments or slow offensive starts.
The Rebels still have to execute, and with two losses already on their record, their margin for error is awfully thin.
But if Ole Miss manages to reach the College Football Playoff for a second consecutive season, there’s a pretty good chance we’ll look back at this final stretch and recognize just how important the schedule was.
Because when you’re fighting to keep your playoff hopes alive, there’s no place quite like home.
