The predictions are rolling in for what is shaping up to be a pivotal SEC showdown for both Mark Stoops and Lane Kiffin. A year ago, Kentucky shocked Ole Miss in Oxford, with a fourth-down bomb to Barion Brown setting up the game-winning touchdown. A missed Rebel field goal sealed the upset, knocking Ole Miss from the ranks of the unbeaten and derailing their playoff hopes.
That victory, however, was the last truly bright spot in a difficult 2024 season for Kentucky, which saw the team lose all but one of its remaining games to finish 4-8. Now, coming off a shaky win against Toledo, the Wildcats are desperate to prove they are better than the preseason projections. Mark Stoops has reloaded the roster and is committed to his vision of tough, grind-it-out football. But that style requires near-perfect execution, as scoring opportunities are inherently limited. This clash of styles—Ole Miss's up-tempo attack versus Kentucky's methodical approach—has led to some very lopsided predictions from national media.
National media picks Ole Miss to win big
The consensus from coast to coast is that Ole Miss is not just going to win, but win comfortably.
On3
Ari Wasserman
On3’s Ari Wasserman is direct, picking Ole Miss -10: “People are going to be hyper-fixated on what happened between these two teams last year... Make no mistake, though. Austin Simmons is the real deal, and the Rebels are more than 10 points better than UK, even if the game is in Lexington.”
Andy Staples
"Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin pointed out this week that the last four games in this series have been decided by three or fewer points. I pointed out on Monday’s show that I took 9.5-point underdog South Carolina to cover against Kentucky this week last year because it just felt like too many points. So logically, I should take Kentucky to cover with all those points available. But I just can’t do it."Andy Staples
ESPN
ESPN's Bill Connolly and his SP+ and FPI models agree, projecting Ole Miss to win by double digits. He notes that while Kentucky’s defense might offer resistance, it won’t matter "if the Wildcats can score. They averaged a woeful 4.6 yards per play with two turnovers, and I’m pretty sure Ole Miss’ defense is better than Toledo’s."
CBS Sports
The team at CBS Sports is nearly unanimous. Ten of their twelve experts picked Ole Miss to win, with eight of them also picking the Rebels to cover the -10.5 spread. Chris Hummer explained his pick (Ole Miss 35, Kentucky 20): "Zach Calzada didn’t give me a lot to believe in last week... Plus, Ole Miss is going to be very motivated."
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated’s Iain MacMillan sees a potential disaster for the Cats: "This has all the makings of a blowout... This is a nightmare stylistic matchup for Kentucky. Ole Miss wins this one in a rout."
Clarion Ledger, College Football News and Saturday Down South ride with the Rebels
Predictions from the Clarion Ledger (Ole Miss 32-14), College Football News (Ole Miss 31-20), and Saturday Down South echo the same sentiment, all pointing to Kentucky's anemic offense as the primary reason for their skepticism. As Saturday Down South notes, "I’d be pretty surprised if Kentucky managed more than a couple of touchdowns on Saturday."
If Kentucky hopes to pull off a second straight upset over the Rebels, they will have to prove a whole host of experts wrong.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time, he spends time with his family, and watching Premier League soccer. Ephesians 3:20. #UpTheAlbion