In the new era of the SEC, the Ole Miss Rebels are looking to emerge as one of the top programs with Lane Kiffin. After a top-10 finish and a Peach Bowl win over Penn State, there is no reason why this squad can't take that next step and potentially win the SEC.
They also have the perfect storm of a starting quarterback in Jaxson Dart, and returning weapons to help him out. There are questions as to how the offensive line will hold up, but this team went 11-2 last season and can make a push for the 12-team College Football Playoff.
This team also gets the benefit of not having to play Alabama or Texas, but they still have a couple of games they might just end up losing this season.
Which games will Ole Miss Football lose in 2024?
LSU
The Rebels and Tigers played in an offensive shootout in Oxford last season, and now this matchup shifts to Death Valley where Ole Miss will have to travel to take on the Tigers.
While this LSU team does not have the benefit of having Jayden Daniels or Malik Nabers anymore, they still have elite talent on this roster and should be one of the major contenders in the SEC. There are big expectations for Garrett Nussmeier to replace Daniels, and this is where the Tigers can prove that they are still an elite squad.
Ole Miss having to travel on the road for this matchup will not help them in the slightest, but this should still be an offensive shootout yet again. Expect a close game, but LSU gives Ole Miss their first loss of the season here.
Georgia
Ole Miss gets the benefit of taking on the best team in the nation at home this time around, but Georgia is still Georgia. For an offensive team like LSU, having to take on a Bulldogs team that allows the least points in the SEC will be a tough challenge.
If the Rebels want to win the SEC, they will have to beat this team eventually, but it will not be in the regular season this time around. This loss would not hurt Ole Miss too much in the rankings, but they will definitely be hoping for a crack at them again in the SEC Championship or College Football Playoff if they get that far.
If Ole Miss has another two-loss season, they will most likely end up in the big dance anyway, so these are losses this squad can afford for the 2024 season.
Two losses would meet expectations for Ole Miss
Ole Miss is not just looking to take the next step in the SEC, they are also looking for a new level of consistency. This team will have to take down the likes of Oklahoma, Florida, and Kentucky in SEC play, and their nonconference does not have any notably tough games on it. A road trip to Wake Forest may be harder than expected, but they should still have little issue winning that game.
Not getting the chance to play Texas may hurt their chances at an SEC Championship game berth, but they can still get there if they take care of business and potentially flip that LSU game. Lane Kiffin and company want to give themselves a College Football Playoff berth and get a chance at a National Championship, and this record gets them there.
If there is a season for this team to have a breakout year and another top-ten finish, this is the year when you have a guy like Dart, but time will tell if expectations are met in Oxford, Mississippi.