The Ole Miss football season is at a crossroads coming out of their bye week. Down one path is the season completely falling apart and going off the rails. Down the other is them managing to get hot and go on a run to close out the last half of the season. With those being the two options, that is exactly why Saturday’s Ole Miss vs Oklahoma matchup is so important.
In terms of the matchup itself, it’s only going to be the second time the two schools have met on the gridiron. The first meeting came in the 1999 Independence Bowl. That resulted in a 27-25 Ole Miss victory, in a game where they had to hold on despite Oklahoma making a valiant second-half comeback.
Now, with the Sooners entering the SEC this season, this will be the first time they meet as conference foes. And it comes at an important time for both teams. For Oklahoma, they’re sitting at 1-3 in conference, and simply trying to avoid the season getting out of hand completely. For the Rebels, it’s a matter of keeping playoff hopes alive. To do that, they have to win out.
Oklahoma’s Offensive Coordinator Change
The Sooners made recent headlines due to them announcing a coordinator change. Seth Littrell is out as offensive coordinator, with co-OC Joe Jon Finley now taking over primary play-calling duties. The move comes in the midst of the Oklahoma offense taking a nosedive recently. Over their past four games, they’ve scored 20+ points only once, and have been held to fewer than 10 in two of those contests. In addition, they’re currently averaging the fewest points per game the program has seen since 1998 (22.1).
The biggest question surrounding this move, however, is whether it was a coaching problem, or whether the issue lies with the players. On one hand, the coaching clearly hasn’t met their standards. On the other, the players, especially at the quarterback position, have also struggled for much of the year.
Which brings us to the next discussion surrounding the Sooners.
Jackson Arnold Named Oklahoma Starter
Right around the time Littrell was relieved of his duties, head coach Brent Venables also named Jackson Arnold as the starting quarterback for this matchup. The announcement comes amidst questions surrounding the position, as Arnold was the original starter to start the season. However, following an atrocious first half against Tennessee, he was benched in favor of true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. Following a few weeks as the starter, without much success, Hawkins was then benched last week, allowing the chance for Arnold to step back into the role.
While not great this season, it’s safe to say the original benching of Arnold seemed a bit premature. He’s clearly struggled, but he was one of the most heralded quarterbacks in the country coming into the season. Instead of giving him a chance to get out of the mud, he was essentially immediately benched. Now, with confidence already having declined, he gets thrown right back into the fire against a Rebels defense that has played well this season, especially in regards to the defensive line.
In unceremonious terms, the mismanagement of the Oklahoma quarterback room so far this season has been a sight to see.
Questions About the Ole Miss Offense, As Well
Oklahoma isn’t the only side in this game that has questions on the offensive side of the ball. Ole Miss also has a fair share of offensive doubts. They also have a not-so-small group of people who would enjoy seeing their offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. fired, too. While that doesn’t appear as if it’s going to happen, a loss this weekend would amplify those calls.
Through the weak non-conference slate. the Rebel offense looked as good as advertised. However, since starting SEC play, things have gone completely off the rails. Playcalling has been awful. Quarterback play from Jaxson Dart has been less than stellar. There are questions about why Ulysses Bentley IV hasn’t played more. And losing two very winnable games hasn’t helped the conversations.
Now, up against a reeling Oklahoma squad, this is absolutely a must-win for the Rebels. The defense should be able to contain the recently nonexistent Sooner offense. But whether the offense can score points against a pretty good Oklahoma defense could end up being an entirely different story.
Ole Miss vs Oklahoma: Bottom Line and Prediction
As has been made clear, this game is going to come down to which offense performs better. Both defenses have looked pretty good this season, and that should continue this week. However, the Ole Miss offense has more playmakers, and quite frankly, more big play ability.
They’re also coming off of a bye week, and playing at home. Meanwhile, Oklahoma is coming off of a two-week stretch where they’ve been outscored 69-12. And they’re coming off of a coaching change at the offensive coordinator spot.
In the end, there are just too many what-ifs with the Sooner offense. This game should end up looking a lot like the Ole Miss win versus South Carolina two weeks ago, where the Rebels won 27-3. Expect a relatively low-scoring affair, but one that a desperate Rebels team manages to control most of the way, resulting in a much-needed home win.
Ole Miss 27, Oklahoma 13
