Could Rebels' Non-Conference Record be Worse in 2023?

Will the Ole Miss Rebels lose to more non-SEC teams in 2023?

OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss Rebels took care of business versus their non-conference opponents during the 2022 regular season, and they have another slate of non-SEC teams in 2023 that should offer little resistance... except for one.

Ole Miss is set to take on the Tulane Greenwave on the road in Week 2, and they will provide an early test for the Rebels, as they finished their 2022 campaign with an overall record of 12-2. 

Tulane's schedule was obviously weaker than Ole Miss' last season, but coach Willie Fritz has the Greenwave trending in the right direction and this matchup will not be one-sided like it was when the two programs met in Oxford in 2021. 

The Rebels have not lost to a non-conference opponent during the regular season since 2019, but Saturday Down South believes that Tulane could end that streak for Ole Miss in 2023.

"Willie Fritz’s team completed the most historic turnaround in college football history last season, going from 2-10 to 11-2," Saturday Down South writes. "Tulane put the icing on the cake with a 46-45 win over USC in the Cotton Bowl. With Tulane having effectively reloaded at multiple positions, it is a contender once again and could hand Ole Miss one of its only losses of the season."

"Contender" might be a strong word to use when describing Tulane, but it certainly is not a team to overlook this season. Quarterback Michael Pratt is returning for his junior year after throwing for 3,009 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2022. Tulane lost talent to the 2023 NFL Draft, but Fritz has reloaded his team as they are currently the No. 24 team on the AP Poll entering Week 1.

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You can follow Ben King on Twitter at @BKing_2023.

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