Ole Miss is on the road for its first true road game of the season and is headed to the unfriendly confines of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium where No. 21 Florida awaits.
This isn’t last year’s four-win Gators, either. They’re 3-0 with a thorough win against Auburn last week that saw Jadan Baugh rush for more than 150 yards, while the defense recorded seven sacks. Ole Miss, on the hand, is…well, we all know what the Rebels did last week and based on the predictions below, they’ll do it again this week.
Check out the staff picks below for how we think Saturday’s game will play out.
HottyToddy.com Staff Picks
Any Hodges
Ole Miss 34, Florida 31. After Ole Miss downed LSU last weekend, some national media said the Rebels would still be mentally celebrating until Thursday or Friday. Ole Miss coach Pete Golding was probably flushing it out as he walked out of Monday’s press conference with the media Monday and figuring out how to get his team to do the same thing. Going to The Swamp has blown up Rebels’ season as recently as 2024. They can’t afford that this season with what they have left to play including road trips to Texas and Oklahoma plus getting Georgia at home. It may take Ole Miss a quarter or so to fully wake up unless they were actually able come down earlier in the week and Kewan Lacy’s status could have helped with that. Even without him, though, the Rebels proved in the win over the Tigers they still have a potent offense. On paper, the Gators don’t have players as good as LSU. Games aren’t played on paper but Ole Miss did beat their coach twice last season that will give him some extra motivation. The Rebels will be walking into a wild scene but it probably won’t be hostile. Just loud and rowdy. They will find a way to get the close win.
Taylor Hodges
Ole Miss 48, Florida 34. This won’t be an easy game for Ole Miss. Florida has a potent rushing attack, which is one area the Rebels’ defense hasn’t been great. Jadan Baugh is a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate and he’ll get his touches and yards. But Ole Miss only needs a few stops because of the other side of the ball. Trinidad Chambliss is one of the best players in college football right now and Florida doesn’t have the defense, especially in the secondary, to slow him down. The Gators give up a lot of explosive passing plays and Ole Miss has multiple receivers and tight ends capable of exploiting that. Expect a high scoring game, but one the Rebels come out on top of.
Nina Houndeshell
Ole Miss 41, Florida 24. If Ole Miss was able to regain focus after a major rivalry win I believe the game is theirs. The team showed improvement across the board, and Chambliss is a threat to anybody’s defense. I don’t believe this will be a cakewalk whatsoever, as it’s their first true road game, and against another ranked team. However I think the rebels get it done in the Swamp.
Ryan Leider
Ole Miss 40, Florida 38. After such a huge win over LSU last weekend, all eyes are on the Rebels heading into their matchup with Florida. Ole Miss’ defense stepped up when it mattered most, setting a high standard for the rest of the season. On the offensive side, Trinidad Chambliss continues to prove why he is one of the biggest threats in college football. Do I think this weekend’s game will be a breeze? No. Florida is coming off a 44-39 win over Auburn and has a strong offense of its own, so the Rebels will definitely have a challenge in Gainesville. But do I think Ole Miss can get the job done? Absolutely. I’m expecting another high-scoring battle, and for the Rebels to come out on top.
Hudson Miller
Ole Miss 38, Florida 27. After an explosive night in Oxford, Mississippi the Rebels are making their way to Gainesville. We saw major defensive improvements, as well as an incredible Trinidad Chambliss appearance. Gainesville is a very hostile environment, Pete Golding as a head coach is unproven on the road, but that doesn’t mean he won’t prove that he can win in a place like the swamp. Even if Kewan Lacy is not 100% this offense is still explosive. You can expect the Ben Hill Griffin stadium to be full with 88,000 people, but so will the away side scoreboard.
Cianna Rivera
Ole Miss 41, Florida 27. After having such an emotional game against LSU, Ole Miss needs to make sure their focus is back for this weekend. Playing the Florida Gators in The Swamp is not an easy task due to them having such a large stadium and intense fans. Even though Ole Miss is not favored to win, this would not be the first time people have doubted them. I believe if Ole Miss is fully focused on this game and blocks out the crowd then they will be able to win.
