Gameday is almost here, but our staff predictions have already arrived.
No. 7 Ole Miss will faceoff against No. 19 Texas at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 24 hours ahead of the heavyweight matchup, our entire staff agrees on the outcome. Scroll down to see how each HottyToddy.com staffer sees tomorrow night’s game in Austin playing out. Click here to see how EA College Football 27 simulated the game.
HottyToddy.com Staff Picks
Andy Hodges
Texas is on the verge of a full-blown panic these days. Ole Miss doesn’t have that problem after the Florida game and they seem to still remember why that turned out so bad. Blowing out Vanderbilt and Missouri have restored fans that had questions and they are climbing in the polls. In the summer going on the road against the Longhorns was in the toss-up category for predicting anything and now they are favored by a lot of people. Considering Trinidad Chambliss is also going up in the Heisman talk while Arch Manning has dropped like a rock probably is a big cause for that. With Texas’ leading pass rusher Colin Simmons out of the game, the Rebels should have a big edge there. The line still has the ‘Horns as a near-touchdown favorite that’s probably based on preseason expectations. Even some Texas-based websites are picking the Rebels to win. I’ll agree with them. Ole Miss 38, Texas 24.
Taylor Hodges
Two weeks ago this pick would’ve been easy. It’d have been Texas and if it wasn’t playing Saturday without the nation’s leader in sacks and, possibly, its starting running back, the Longhorns might still have been the pick. But there’s too much going against Texas right now and the added pressure of saving a promising season isn’t going to help. Without Colin Simmons, the Longhorns won’t have the ferocity on defense to slow down the Rebels’ offense, specifically Trinidad Chambliss. The biggest concern for me is the other side of the ball. Texas has great receivers who can stretch the field. Ole Miss’ biggest weakness on defense is its secondary. However, even with those skilled playmakers, Texas hasn’t scored more than 24 points against a Power 4 conference team. Ole Miss hasn’t scored less than 28 all season. A shootout is possible, but I don’t see Texas having an offensive surge. The Longhorns haven’t ran the ball well this season and they’re terrible at converting third downs into first downs. Give me the Rebels to win. Ole Miss 31, Texas 24.
Nina Houndeshell
A defining game for both teams. Ole Miss really made a statement last week against Mizzou. The defense performing their best all season. If they keep this up, there is serious potential for this Ole Miss team. Texas however, has really been inconsistent. Depending on what Texas team shows up this game has real potential to be extremely competitive. It’ll come down to who can effectively create on both sides of the ball. I’m rocking with Ole Miss. After their performance against Missouri I have confidence in the Rebels. Ole Miss 27, Texas 21.
Ryan Leider
This weekend, the Rebels are taking on Texas, and I think we’re in for a really good game. Texas is obviously a talented team, but Ole Miss has shown us that we can compete with some of the best teams in the country. Coming off a big win against Missouri, I think the Rebels have some serious momentum going into this weekend. Our offense has been looking strong, and if our defense can show up and make some big stops, I think we’ve got a good shot at taking down the Longhorns. It is definitely going to be a hard game, but I have faith in the Rebs, and I think we’re going to pull it off. Ole Miss 35, Texas 31.
Hudson Miller
Ole Miss is coming off back to back explosive wins against Vanderbilt and Mizzou. While Texas is coming off back-to-back losses against Oklahoma and Florida. Texas star Edge rusher Colin Simmons has officially been ruled out. Simmons has put on a show with 10.5 sacks this season for the Longhorns. Without him I can’t help but question if Texas will struggle on both sides of the ball. Arch Manning has been nothing more than mediocre this season. With nothing special showing on the Texas side, I expect the Longhorns to lose this one in my home town. Ole Miss 38, Texas 13.
Cianna Rivera
After the win against Missouri, the Rebels showed that their defense has greatly improved. Meanwhile Texas has had a hard time staying consistent this season. With having key defensive player Colin Simmons out for this game and being on a two game losing streak, Texas is in for a challenge against the Rebels. If Ole Miss plays how they did last week, this should be a win for the Rebels. Ole Miss 38, Texas 20.
