Ole Miss walks into Saturday’s trip to Florida with the kind of résumé that usually earns respect, not points. The Rebels are No. 4 in the country, already own wins over ranked Louisville and LSU, and yet they’re still a 3.5-point underdog at No. 21 Florida in The Swamp, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
That’s the same read David Pollack had on his “See Ball Get Ball” podcast, where he came down on the Gators to pull the upset.
“Obviously, both teams riding somewhat of a high. ... If I wanted to be [either team] coming into this game I absolutely want to be Florida.
I mean, I love the spot I'm in if I'm Florida," Pollack said. "Ole Miss is coming off their Super Bowl, man. ...
Now you go back to work. That's one [reason].
First true road test [for the Rebels]. ... [Running back Kewan] Lacy, your Heisman Trophy candidate is banged up.
I want to be Florida in this matchup, there ain't no doubt about it.”
That Ole Miss “Super Bowl” was last Saturday’s 32-24 win over then-No. 7 LSU, a game that carried plenty of emotion with former Rebels coach Lane Kiffin back in Oxford, Mississippi.
This time, the setting changes completely. The crowd will belong to Florida, and the Rebels will be dealing with their first true road test.
There’s also the injury piece. Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy has been downgraded to doubtful with a shoulder injury suffered against LSU.
Even with that concern, the Rebels still have Trinidad Chambliss, the kind of quarterback Pollack clearly believes can tilt any game. Chambliss, a leading Heisman Trophy candidate, has already built a résumé full of big moments, from a Division II national championship at Ferris State to key SEC wins last season and two College Football Playoff victories.
This season, he has thrown for 924 yards, 7 touchdowns and 2 interceptions while adding 64 rushing yards and 2 scores. He’s also delivered the kind of throws that have people circling his name at the top of the sport.
And still, Pollack leaned toward Florida.
“We've talked about it over and over. Trinidad's the best player in the country," Pollack said.
"The only way Ole Miss wins this game, to me, is if Trinidad proves that time and time again in this atmosphere. And I think he can, but I just think there's all those times where things lined up, and we talked about the reasons why, and to me that's enough.
I've got 31-27 Gators. I've got upset in The Swamp.”
Florida has not yet faced a ranked opponent this season. The Gators opened with blowout wins over FAU and Campbell, then followed with a 44-39 road win at Auburn in their SEC opener last Saturday.
A big reason for that offensive success has been Jadan Baugh. The Florida running back has 458 rushing yards on 4.8 yards per carry with 8 touchdowns, and he added 26 carries for 162 yards and 3 scores against Auburn. After rushing for 1,170 yards as a sophomore, he’s already taken another jump.
Pollack thinks Baugh can help decide the game by keeping Chambliss off the field and controlling the pace.
"What's a recipe you want to ride to be able to beat Trinidad? You better be able to score.
How about keeping the football away from him? That's a heck of an idea.
Is there a better back in the country than Jadan Baugh," Pollack said. "He's mentioned with Emmitt Smith and the numbers that he's been putting up. ...
He does it inside, he does it out. He breaks tackles.
He jukes you, he outruns you. This dude, man, his feet in the hole, I watch him on tape, you're not supposed to do that at 235 [pounds]. ...
"So there's a lot of things going in Florida's direction that should give you a lot of hope. This could send the Gators fans through the roof.
You get this one, and you're playing in the Swamp, they've got to be so jacked up. This is one of those moments, you talk about putting a stamp on a program being back, what an opportunity for Florida, and all the things are lining up in a great way for them.”
Pollack also made clear there’s one scenario that could make him rethink everything in a hurry.
"I think [the Gators] score a bunch of points. I think they play keep-away.
I think they find a way to just get a few stops. Here's the caveat that I'll say -- I'm out if Trinidad has the ball last.
If Trinidad gets the ball, I would recant in a heartbeat and take it back," he said. "But Jadan Baugh and company dominate the time of possession.
That's why they win this football game. They shift, they motion, they do all those things to create big plays, but in the end Jadan Baugh runs a 4-minute offense, kills the clock and 31-27 over Ole Miss.”
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Nick Saban Just Raised The Stakes For Florida Against Ole Miss QB
Nick Sabans latest TV turn landed right in the middle of Ole Miss momentum swing, and it came with a fresh dose of respect for Trinidad Chambliss. After Chambliss helped the Rebels beat LSU, the former Alabama coach praised him on The Pat McAfee Show and called him a top playmaker, a notable endorsement from someone who has spent years sizing up quarterbacks in the SEC.
Saban also made it clear he had learned his lesson after backing LSU before that matchup, saying he regretted picking against Chambliss and would not do it again. With Ole Miss headed toward Florida, the comment only adds a little more intrigue to a game that already carries plenty of attention, because now the Rebels quarterback arrives with a high-profile seal of approval and a fresh target on his back. [Read more 🡒]
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The timing only added to the edge, with both SEC programs staring at demanding weeks ahead. LSU has Texas A&M coming up, while Tennessee now has to turn around and host Texas, keeping the focus on the field even as Kiffin once again became part of the conversation around the Vols. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas SEC Title Position Just Got A Lot More Interesting
Week 4 is starting to reshape the SEC race, and the picture is suddenly a lot less settled than it looked a week ago. ESPN Analytics now has Texas and Georgia as the conferences leading contenders, with Texas at 33 percent and Georgia at 32 percent, but Alabama and Ole Miss are still very much in the mix as the league heads into another round of telling matchups.
For Ole Miss, the spotlight only gets brighter with a trip to Florida on deck, one of several games that could begin to separate the true contenders from the rest of the pack. Texas at Tennessee is another measuring-stick game on the slate, and with Alabama also facing a significant test ahead, the path to Atlanta already feels crowded and fragile in a way that should keep the SEC race interesting for a while longer. [Read more 🡒]