Ole Miss With Lofty National Championship Odds For 2023

The first step in the Ole Miss Rebels' quest for a national championship is to win the West Division in the Southeastern Conference.

So, you're telling me there's a chance.

The Ole Miss Rebels were given lofty odds at +15000 to lay a claim to their fourth national championship in program history, according to SI Sportsbook. The Rebels have the seventh-best odds in the Southeastern Conference and the 23rd-best odds in the Football Bowl Subdivision. 

But that doesn't mean a thing. Look at TCU.

Last season, immediately after the Georgia Bulldogs won the first of their back-to-back championships, the Horned Frogs had +20000 odds to win the national title — the same chances as Purdue, Arizona State, and BYU, among others — but were one win away from hoisting the trophy.

The Rebels are coming off an 8-5 season in 2022 and have a quarterback competition on their hands after Spencer Sanders and Walker Howard transferred in from Oklahoma State and LSU, respectively, to compete with Jaxson Dart, who was named the third-best returning starting signal-caller in the SEC by Pro Football Focus.

Last season, Dart completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 2,974 yards and 20 touchdowns to 11 interceptions.

The junior from Kaysville, Utah, looks to be in the driver's seat to win the starting job, though head coach Lane Kiffin has yet to officially name a starter. If Dart wins the job and can elevate his game in his second season in Kiffin's system, expect the Rebels' offense to improve from its No. 29 scoring offense last season.

The weight of the world won't be on the quarterback's shoulders, though.

Ole Miss welcomes back with open arms running back Quinshon Judkins who jumped into the starting role as a freshman and became one of the country's best running backs. His 1,565 yards broke the Rebels' 73-year rushing record while also setting the single-season program rushing touchdown record with 16.

The Rebels have a steep schedule, beginning with a road trip to Tuscaloosa, AL. to take on the Crimson Tide on Sept. 23. If they can pull off the upset, the road doesn't get easier with a home date with LSU a week later, followed in November by a road game against Georgia.

Ole Miss has arguably the most explosive offense in the SEC West next season, so the question becomes: how far can its defense carry it?

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You can follow Casey Smith on Twitter at @casey_smith2419

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