Ole Miss Rebels Just Outside New Year's 6 in Latest Bowl Projections

Can the Ole Miss Rebels find their way into the NY6 field this season?

OXFORD, Miss. -- The No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels still have a lot to play for this season, including a New Year's Six bowl berth or an outside shot at the College Football Playoff.

The 7-1 Rebels only have a road loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide on their docket so far this year, but where do they land in the latest bowl projections released after Week 9 of the college football season? According to CBS Sports' Jerry Palm, they are looking at a prestigious bowl...just not prestigious enough for the New Year's Six.

Palm has the Rebels facing off against former offensive coordinator Phil Longo and the Wisconsin Badgers in the Citrus Bowl, scheduled to take place on Jan. 1. Other SEC teams who made the NY6 field in this projection are Alabama (Cotton Bowl) and the Georgia Bulldogs (Sugar Bowl/CFP Semifinal).

Oct 28, 2023; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Tre Harris (9) and wide receiver Dayton Wade (19) react after a touchdown during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports / © Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

The Rebels have participated in 40 bowl games in their program's history, but they have never made the trip to the Citrus Bowl, now sponsored by Cheez-It. The Citrus Bowl has gone through numerous name changes over the years, including the Tangerine Bowl (1947–1982), Florida Citrus Bowl (1983–2002) and the Capital One Bowl (2003–2014).

Ole Miss is set to reach its fourth-straight bowl game this season, and all four of those appearances have come under head coach Lane Kiffin. The Rebels have gone to the Outback Bowl (now the ReliaQuest Bowl), the Sugar Bowl and the Texas Bowl in Kiffin's first three years on campus, going 1-2 in those games.

The Rebels have a chance to improve their bowl game standing over the next few weeks, beginning with Saturday's matchup against the Texas A&M Aggies. Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN.