The Ole Miss Rebels (6-1) prepare to travel to Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL, to face off against the Auburn Tigers (5-2) on Saturday. This matchup has the potential to be highly entertaining as it features a couple of strong offensive units.
This is an SEC matchup worth tuning into, as there is a strong possibility the outcome gets decided late in the fourth quarter.
Auburn
The Tigers feature a well-balanced offense that has the ability to both run and throw successfully. Quarterback Bo Nix has been productive under center, and running back Tank Bigsby has rushed for over 500 yards while adding six touchdowns.
Auburn will search to control the tempo through the running game and keep the ball out of Matt Corral’s hands as much as possible. Their defense is not bound to shut down the Rebel’s offense, but as long as they can contain them, the Tiger’s offense will score enough to win this ballgame.
Expect a lot of play-action calls from the Auburn passing game in an effort to catch the Ole Miss defense off-guard since they will be selling out to stop the run with the majority of their sets.
Ole Miss
The Rebel’s offense rarely turns the ball over, and much of that is a product of quarterback Matt Corral’s 15 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio. Corral and this offensive unit will need to score a lot of points when they have the ball to keep the pressure on Auburn.
The defense will need to stand their ground and limit the running game of Auburn. If they consistently get beat, the Rebels might need to score more than 40 points to earn the victory, which is easier said than done.
They have struggled against the run so far this season, so expect an extra emphasis to sell out against the Auburn rushing attack. We will probably see an extra amount of blitzes called by the Rebel’s defensive coordinator. If they can force Box Nix to throw the ball more than he is accustomed to, that could lead to possible interceptions and a multitude of incompletions.
Outcome
We are likely to see an offensive shootout between these talented offensive units. Between the Auburn running game and the Ole Miss passing game, this projects as one of the most exciting matchups of the season.
Despite Auburn being tabbed the favorite to win by the majority of experts, this Ole Miss team is resilient and has the ability to pull out victories late in games. They will need an outstanding defensive effort, but their passing game is going to at least keep them competitive throughout.
I believe in Matt Corral’s ability to lead the Rebels to a victory in this game despite being on the road. In the end, this game might be decided by whoever has the football last in the fourth quarter, but I am rolling with Ole Miss to advance to 7-1 on the season.
Betting Analysis
- Moneyline: Auburn -125, Ole Miss +125
- Spread: Auburn -3, Ole Miss +3
- Total O/U: 66
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