Missouri and Ole Miss will have to settle for a different stage on Saturday, and that decision didn’t sit well with everyone.
The No. 13 Tigers and No.
9 Rebels are set for a SEC Network broadcast at 3:30 p.m. ET, even though the matchup is one of the biggest games on the SEC’s Week 7 slate.
According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Eli Hoff, it is the first meeting between top-13 SEC teams to miss out on ABC since the “SEC on ABC” deal began in 2024.
That makes the broadcast choice stand out even more when you look at the rest of the day. The SEC has three games featuring ranked opponents, plus Kentucky-Oklahoma after both teams knocked off top-10 opponents, and Auburn-Georgia in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.
With so many marquee games lined up, somebody was going to get bumped. Missouri and Ole Miss ended up being the ones.
Hoff noted that there have been 12 regular-season SEC-SEC games between teams ranked inside the top 13 since the deal started, and all 12 had been shown on ABC until this one.
No. 13 #Mizzou and No. 9 Ole Miss have the right to feel snubbed that they'll be playing on SEC Network on Saturday.
Since the SEC on ABC deal began in 2024, there have been 12 reg season SEC-SEC games b/t teams ranked inside the top 13. All have been on ABC - until this one. pic.twitter.com/WpknlDw0B1
- Eli Hoff (@byEliHoff) October 11, 2026
Missouri fans responded the way you’d expect: by taking the slight personally, and in some cases wearing it like a badge of honor.
It's fine. This is what we want. Keep the disrespect flowing.
- Ben Truetken (@bentruetken) October 11, 2026
Brand rankings matter more than AP rankings.
- 小丑 (@TheMan0fTheMole) October 11, 2026
There’s no embarrassment in being slotted behind Alabama-Tennessee and Auburn-Georgia in the same window. But the Tigers and Rebels do bring plenty of weight to the day, and the matchup carries more College Football Playoff implications than the game in Athens. It could also wind up with more at stake than Alabama-Tennessee, where Tennessee is still trying to sort out the quarterback position.
In Other News...
LSU May Catch A Huge Break In This SEC Matchup
Mississippi States 4-1 start has been built on a wave of young contributors, with freshmen and sophomores showing up all over the field as the Bulldogs keep sorting out who can handle bigger roles. Quarterback Kamarios Taylor has been right at the center of it, throwing for 1,450 yards and 17 touchdowns while helping energize an offense that has leaned on growth as much as experience.
Now the timing gets tricky with LSU coming to Starkville, because Taylors status is one of the biggest factors in how that matchup looks. Jeff Lebby has kept the conversation focused on competition and development across the roster, but the Bulldogs next step will depend heavily on how their young core holds up if a key piece is limited when the SEC spotlight gets brighter. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Heads To LSU With One Huge Question Still Hanging
Mississippi States quarterback situation is suddenly a major subplot as the Bulldogs prepare for a trip to No. 22 LSU. Kamario Taylors exit from the Alabama game on Oct. 3 in a walking boot left the offense with more questions than answers, and the program has not offered any real clarity on what comes next.
With Saturdays game looming, Taylors availability remains up in the air, and the lack of a defined timeline only adds to the uncertainty around an already difficult road test. For Mississippi State, the difference between having its quarterback and having to reshuffle on the fly could shape the entire game plan in Baton Rouge. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Brings One Major Strength But Mississippi State Can Still Exploit Plenty
LSU enters this matchup with the kind of run defense that can change a game plan before it starts, giving up just 74.5 rushing yards per game and standing first in the SEC and fifth nationally in that category. The Tigers have also gotten impact plays from safety Tamarcus Cooley, who leads the team with two interceptions, and linebacker TJ Dottery, who has forced two fumbles and piled up 40 tackles, so Mississippi State will have to be sharp about every down it can turn into a true test of patience.
There is still room for the Bulldogs to make this interesting through the air, because LSUs secondary has been more vulnerable than its front and quarterback Sam Leavitt has already shown both upside and risk with 1,496 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Missed opportunities could matter even more for LSU if it is short on one of its bigger receiving options, and Mississippi State can at least keep this from becoming a simple strength-on-strength fight by forcing the Tigers to win in the part of the field where they have been less dominant. [Read more 🡒]