College Football

2024 Ole Miss football predictions: Ranked No. 6 by RJ Young

Updated Aug. 12, 2024 10:19 a.m. ET

FOX Sports National College Football Analyst

[Check out RJ Young's ultimate 134 college football rankings here]

Conference ranking: 3rd in SEC (+650 to win conference)
Teams ahead of them: Florida State (5), Oregon (4), Texas (3), Georgia (2), Ohio State (1)
Teams behind them: LSU (7), Michigan (8), Alabama (9), Missouri (10), Oklahoma (11)

[Ole Miss 2024 schedule]

RJ's take: Lane Kiffin has turned out to be the best coach the University of Mississippi has had roam a gridiron sideline since Johnny Vaught.

From 1959 to 1962, Vaught won 10 games three times in four years, with two undefeated seasons mixed in and a claimed national title for the 10-0 1962 season.

Kiffin has won 10 games or more two out of the last three years and became the first coach in history to lead Ole Miss to an 11-win season — probably because Vaught never got to coach an 11th, let alone a 12th or even 15th game in a season. Never mind Ole Miss’ only two losses last year were to the SEC title participants.

You’ll take my point when I say Kiffin needs to make use of this golden era of Ole Miss football. He returns his starter at QB in Jaxson Dart, has filled the hole left by Judkins with quality tailbacks and avoids Texas and Alabama this season. He's got an All-Slept-On transfer at tailback in Rashad Amos, who rushed for 1,075 yards and 13 TDs at Miami of Ohio last year.

Help Pete Golding put a lid on the defense against good opponents, and we’re talking Ole Miss perhaps hosting a playoff game. Giving up 49 to LSU, 35 to Texas A&M and 52 to UGA needs to get fixed.

The addition of 6-foot-4, 290-pound Walter Nolen can help that. As a sophomore, he notched four sacks and 37 tackles as a defensive tackle. He could develop into the best defensive tackle to play at Ole Miss since Breeland Speaks.

Now is the time to remind you that Ole Miss is the only SEC West team without a single trip to the SEC title game.

Ole Miss's Total Win Odds: Over 9.5 (-115) Under 9.5 (-105)

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