Despite Slim Playoff Hopes, Plenty is at Stake For Ole Miss Football in Egg Bowl

Despite some difficult losses in 2024, the Rebels still have something to play for on Black Friday this season.

Nov 23, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) shares the Egg Bowl trophy with fans after defeating the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Coming off a heartbreaking loss in Florida last week, the Ole Miss Rebels kicked up practice again on Monday in preparation for the Egg Bowl where they take on in-state rival Mississippi State.

Many faithful Rebel fans are looking at this week with a grim outlook, but Ole Miss still has a lot to play for.

Linebacker Chris “Pooh” Paul spoke after the loss to Florida about the Egg Bowl and mindset moving forward.

"The guys are pretty down, but like I was saying to them, we've faced adversity before," Paul said. "It's not the outcome we wanted, but we made more mistakes than they did today. Nothing against Florida. They're a great team, and they've put up dogfights with top teams before.”

Paul is not the only player speaking out about how important this week is, as wideout Cayden Lee also spoke on the implications the game has and what it means to the players.

“This is the game that everybody's going to be locked in on, Friday game," Lee said. "They're going to bring their best, we're going to bring our best, and we've got to be better."

While the Rebels' playoff chances would have been almost guaranteed with wins over Florida and Mississippi State, they have now fallen drastically as Ole Miss resides at No. 14 in this week's CFP Rankings.

Still, Ole Miss isn't dead yet. Reaching the playoff would rely on a few things the Rebels cannot control, including needing a couple of upsets to occur as not a single team with three losses is included in the committee's current top 12. That could quickly change as Alabama and Ole Miss are still right there at No. 13 and 14.

With the strength of schedule for the Tide and Rebels being among the top in all of college football, both teams could still find themselves sneaking into the first 12-team playoff, if the right amount of chaos occurs.

Outside of the playoff, this weekend is huge for bragging rights in the Magnolia State. 

The Rebels and Bulldogs have faced off 120 times in their history with the Rebels holding a 65-46-6 advantage. While the bragging rights are important, if Ole Miss comes away with a win, it will hold Mississippi State to a winless record in conference play this season, providing another potential factor in this already-tense rivalry. 

The Rebels have the honor of being a part of opening the coveted “Rivalry Week” on Black Friday as they take on Mississippi State at home in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ABC.