The Grove Report Staff Predictions: Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Ole Miss Rebels

Ole Miss hosts Vanderbilt one final time in the Khaki Bowl before conference expansion.

Did anyone even consider this a rivalry? 

Ole Miss and Vanderbilt were the annual cross-division rival in the SEC East and West, but it never garnered enough buzz to draw in rave reviews. Eventually, it was just another game on the schedule for both sides. 

That could be due to the status of both programs. When Vanderbilt was picking up wins in the early 1900s — yes, the Khaki Bowl goes back that long — Ole Miss was a .500 team. When the Rebels won 23 of 25 from 1953-1980, the Commodores posted one winning season. And when James Franklin finally made the program relevant, Ole Miss was in its transition period. 

But there are several highlight memories in the history of the self-proclaimed rivalry. Like everyone remembers the epic 21-tie of 1952? Or how about the comeback of the year, where Ole Miss won 12-7 in 2000? And how about the beatdowns of a lifetime? 

And yes, there's plenty on mainly one side; the side you people love and the fans of the Music City College hate. 

Change is essential for college football. Not every move is promising for the future of the SEC. This one is a mixed bag. Sure, the Rebels will strengthen their schedule, but it comes at the price of potentially giving up a sure-fire win. 

Let's all save time. Say your goodbyes to the game everyone slept through or drank themselves to oblivion to watch at 11 a.m. And just to see who can survive the longest on Saturday, kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. 

Trust your gut, not your liver, Rebels' fans. Here are TheGroveReport's predictions for Week 9's showdown in Oxford. 

John Macon Gillespie - Publisher

I can see the Rebels sleepwalking through this one. Energy probably won't be extremely high for this one prior to meeting the likes of Texas A&M and Georgia, but talent should be more than enough for Ole Miss in this one.

Ole Miss 38, Vanderbilt 14

Ben King - Staff Writer

It truly is the end of an era. The Ole Miss Rebels are set to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores in their final annual meeting this fall, as their “rivalry” is being discontinued in 2024. The Rebels are 53-40-2 all-time versus the Commodores, and will look to add to the win column one last time when Vandy travels to Oxford.

The Commodores have multiple starters returning on defense, and the team has bought into second-year coach Clark Lea, but it won’t be enough to topple the Rebels at home. In their last three games versus Vandy, Kiffin’s Rebels have scored 50+ points twice, and that trend will continue this fall.

Ole Miss 52, Vanderbilt 24

Cole Thompson - Staff Writer 

Here lies Vanderbilt. No, literally, here it lies being pummeld into the ground by Quinshon Judkins. It looks buried underneath a pile of Rebels' defenders feasting for a turnover. And it looks defeated as Jaxson Dart find the end zone for a fifth? Sixth time? 

If Ole Miss treats Saturday like a normal week instead of a look-ahead game, this Khaki Bowl should be over by halftime. There's 30 minutes left in the rivalry, so at that point, go nuts, Lane. 

Ole Miss 54, Vanderbilt 24