Ole Miss vs. Auburn football game preview, prediction

What to watch for as Ole Miss and Auburn meet in this Week 8 college football game with our updated predictions for the SEC West clash

One team looking to crack the better half of the SEC West standings and another looking to avoid falling to the bottom meet this weekend as No. 13 Ole Miss travels to division rival Auburn in college football's Week 8 action on Saturday.

Sitting at third in the West coming in, the Rebels still have an outside chance at contending for the division title at 2-1 in SEC play, with a loss against leader Alabama but also boasting a key win over LSU, as well.

Now, first-year coach Hugh Freeze goes against the team he once coached, and then departed under somewhat controversial circumstances, hoping to finally get a conference win under his belt as Auburn checks in at 0-3 in SEC play so far.

Ole Miss vs. Auburn preview, prediction

Ole Miss vs. Auburn game predictions / USA Today Images

How to watch

When: Sat., Oct. 21
Time: 6 p.m. Central
TV: ESPN network
Stream live: fuboTV (Try for free)

Ole Miss vs. Auburn game odds

Courtesy of SI Sportsbook

Line: Ole Miss -6.5
Total: 55.5 points
Moneyline: Rebs -250 | Auburn +188
FPI pick: Ole Miss 77.1% to win

What to watch for

1. Turnover battle. One offense lives off not having any, and one defense thrives on generating them. So far, Ole Miss has been disciplined by leading all SEC teams and sitting at No. 11 nationally with a plus-six turnover margin. Auburn has 11 interceptions on the year, while Rebs quarterback Jaxson Dart has thrown just 2. The Tigers have the bodies to limit gains on the ground and make plays with the ball in the air.

2. Who delivers on third down? Ole Miss comes in ranking just 101st nationally in third down defense, allowing opponents to convert 43.6 percent of the time and letting them move the chains 41 of 94 times. Auburn struggles on third down offensively, at 109th in FBS and 13th in the SEC with a 33.3 percent success rate. The Rebels have converted 30 of 78 chances for 38.5 percent success.

3. Starting strong. Ole Miss is outscoring opponents 83-31 in the first quarter this season, an average of 14-5 overall, and are also playing strong in the fourth quarter, outscoring the opposition 82-37. The Rebels have scored at least 20 points in six quarters, with five of those being either the first or fourth.

Ole Miss vs. Auburn prediction

Running the ball, avoiding turnovers, and making the right decisions on third down. Those are the building blocks of winning games in the SEC West and the Rebels should have the decisive advantage in every phase of that game. 

Auburn has the people to bottle up the run game for a time, but its one-dimensional offense won't be able to keep up in the second half as the Rebels will be able to distribute the ball to a wider variety of playmakers.

College Football HQ picks...

• Ole Miss wins 30-20
• Covers the spread
• And hits the under

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