In order to maintain control of its College Football Playoff destiny, Ole Miss will have to knock off Georgia for the third time in the program’s last four matchups. 

With a loss, the Rebels will put their season resume in the hands of the playoff committee with little optimism of returning to meaningful postseason play. Considering what Ole Miss has left in the final quarter of its season, there would be a lot of ground to make up.     

Ahead of the Rebels' top-10 matchup, Ole Miss On SI predicts which team wins and why.   

Ole Miss Rebels On SI Staff Predictions

Matt Galatzan

The last two times these two teams met, both games were absolute cinema. Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebels offense was unstoppable in both matchups, particularly in Round 2, when they knocked of the Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff.

This year, the calculus has changed a bit. The Rebels have a new play caller, and new weapons on the outside. The Defense has also been struggling as of late. On the other side, the Bulldogs are built on defense, running the football and controlling the clock - exactly where Ole Miss has been exploited defensively.

For Ole Miss to win here, I think Chambliss - especially without Kewan Lacy in the lineup - is going to have to be Superman. We have seen him do it before plenty of times, but if the Bulldogs can deploy a similar game plan that Texas did two weeks ago, it could be a long day.

Shekai Mills-Knight could be an X-factor, but it's hard to be able to rely on a redshirt freshman on a stage like this.

The Rebels do have an elite home field advantage, but at the end of the day, I think it all comes down to the Rebels defense and if they can hold up against the Georgia run game.

I'll take the Dawgs in a tight one.

Georgia 31, Ole Miss 27

Tyler Komis

Understandably, almost everyone had the LSU game circled on Ole Miss’ schedule going into the season. For me, this weekend was that game going into the year because of the real scenario of the Rebels having two losses up to this point. 

Here we are.

If Georgia packs its usual run game and efficiency stopping the run, it could be a long night for the Rebels. Although there is reason to have optimism about the Rebels’ side of those two aspects. September and October couldn’t have looked any different for Ole Miss, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

Offensively, Trinidad Chambliss will need to play a game similar to the one he played against LSU all the way back in Week 3. The version of Chambliss we saw against Auburn was the next closest thing, and he’ll have to continue adding yards with his legs even on plays that aren’t broken down. Without Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss will need efficiency from Chambliss, Makhi Frazier and Shekai Mills-Knight on the ground. The Rebels will also desperately need a bounce back game from one of its most explosive players in Deuce Alexander

Ole Miss was in an eerily similar spot in November of the 2024 season. Like that weekend, I’m picking the Rebels to get the job done again against Georgia, but it should be much closer than the game that was last played in Oxford between these two. 

Ole Miss 34, Georgia 31 

Jaydon Koss 

With the Rebels already having two losses this season, I think Saturday night’s game is a must-win to keep their playoff hopes strong. That should translate into a motivated team and an electric environment in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, and when playing in The Vaught, especially at night, there isn’t a team in the country I’d take over Ole Miss.

The Rebels are 26-1 at home since 2023, including a victory over the Bulldogs in the 2024 regular season that had very similar stakes as this game. Picking any team, let alone one that’s been as hot and cold as Ole Miss has been at times this season, to beat the No. 2 team in the country could age poorly. Despite that, give me Pete Golding, Trinidad Chambliss and the rest of the Ole Miss Rebels to win and keep their playoff and SEC Championship ambitions alive and send the Rebel fans home happy on Saturday night.

Ole Miss 31, Georgia 24 

Zion Trammell 

Pete Golding’s biggest challenge is slowing down Georgia’s rushing attack. The Bulldogs average 200 rushing yards per game, and if Ole Miss can’t stop it, the Rebels could struggle to pull ahead. Golding will need Trinidad Chambliss to deliver if Ole Miss is going to defeat Georgia. If the Rebels consistently get off the field on third down and establish their offensive rhythm, I think Ole Miss gets a huge win.

Ole Miss 28, Georgia 24

Cooper Ferguson

A budding rivalry between two of the SEC’s top programs. We’re in for a barnburner at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium tomorrow night. Trinidad Chambliss is beginning to look like himself again, and with the Rebels offensive line performing about as good as ever before, I expect an incredible offensive showing from the home side.

Kirby Smart’s side will never go down easy, and Gunnar Stockton is a solid leader for the Bulldogs offense. Sparks will fly in Oxford, but a repeat of 2024 is in order.