No. 7 Ole Miss heads to Austin for an SEC matchup with No. 18 Texas on Oct. 24, and the storyline practically writes itself: Trinidad Chambliss against Arch Manning, with the Longhorns’ pass rush situation hanging over everything.
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on ABC, with Ole Miss entering at 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. Texas comes in at 4-2 and 1-2 after a rough slide that has followed its climb to No. 1 in the polls. The Longhorns have lost to unranked Oklahoma and Florida, while Ole Miss has answered its Week 4 loss to Florida with back-to-back blowouts of Vanderbilt and Missouri.
The quarterback matchup is the obvious draw. Manning, the nephew of Ole Miss legend Eli Manning and the grandson of Ole Miss legend Archie Manning, has been uneven in 2026, but Ole Miss coach Pete Golding said it’s " crazy" to think he's not an elite quarterback.
There’s also a home-state angle worth watching. Kewan Lacy is one of 10 Ole Miss players from Texas, and he grew up rooting for the Longhorns before attending Lancaster High School.
Still, the game looks more likely to turn on defense than on the names under center. Texas is giving up an average of 17.8 points, but Ole Miss has started to tighten up after some early-season vulnerability. The Rebels held Missouri to three points and Vanderbilt to 10 points when the starters were in, and that stretch makes their season-long mark of 23.8 points allowed look less telling than it once did.
This one could come down to who wins the battle up front. Texas has surrendered 17 sacks, and only three SEC teams have allowed more.
Ole Miss, meanwhile, has 11 sacks, good for No. 14 in the SEC, so the Rebels have not exactly been overwhelming in that area either. Teams that have gotten to Manning have found sacks, interceptions and fumbles, which means pressure could decide whether Texas’ quarterback has time to showcase his arm talent.
The biggest swing factor may be Colin Simmons. Texas’ star junior defensive end leads the nation in sacks with 10.5, and the next two players are tied at seven. He suffered a high ankle sprain against Florida and was listed as doubtful on the initial injury report, so his status could change the shape of the game for Ole Miss’ offense.
That said, Texas still has enough punch to make things interesting. The Longhorns are only five weeks removed from beating No.
2 Ohio State in Austin, a game in which they scored 21 fourth-quarter points. Even if Ole Miss gets ahead, Manning has enough help in Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman to erase deficits in a hurry.
Ole Miss is dealing with a long injury list of its own. Out are WR Izaiah Hartrup, S Edwin Joseph, S MJ Preston, WR Kervin Johnson Jr., S Nascar McCoy and OL Emanuel Faulkner.
Questionable are CB Pat Broomfield, OL Terez Davis and OL Brycen Sanders. Probable for the Rebels are WR Caleb Cunningham, RB Kewan Lacy, S Anthony Robinson III, S Craig Tutt, RB Ja'Michael Jones, OL Patrick Kutas and TE Hayden Bradley.
Texas lists EDGE Richard Wesley as out, while EDGE Colin Simmons is doubtful. RB Hollywood Smothers, WR Kaliq Lockett and OL Jaydon Chatman are questionable.
The pick here is a close one. Ole Miss’ recent defensive surge gives it the edge, and the Rebels should do just enough on that side to support Chambliss, Lacy and the offense.
Ole Miss 26, Texas 23.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Hit With NCAA Penalties As Chris Beard Avoids Fallout
Ole Miss basketball is dealing with the consequences of a tampering case tied to former assistant coach Wes Flanigan, with the NCAA saying the program committed both Level I and Level II violations. The penalties are real and immediate for the Rebels: two years of probation, a $455,000 fine, recruiting restrictions and additional sanctions that will linger well beyond the paperwork.
For Chris Beard, the ruling brought a different outcome. The NCAA did not penalize the Ole Miss coach because it determined he was not involved and not aware of the violations, leaving the program to absorb the fallout without touching its current head coach. Flanigan, meanwhile, drew a one-year show-cause order and a two-game suspension, a reminder that the case is not just about institutional penalties but also about the individuals tied to the conduct. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Offense Has Carried This Start But One Test Awaits
Six games into the 2026 season, Ole Miss has built a 5-1 start and climbed to No. 7 in the AP Poll on the strength of an offense that has looked increasingly hard to slow down. Trinidad Chambliss has been central to that surge, piling up more than 1,800 total yards and 20 touchdowns, while Kewan Lacys return from injury has given the Rebels another needed piece in the backfield. The offensive line has done its part too, keeping Chambliss upright and helping the attack find a better rhythm on the ground in recent weeks.
What has made Ole Miss so dangerous is how the pieces have started to fit together at the same time, with the passing game and rushing attack both carrying real weight. The one lingering question is how this offense will hold up when it runs into a defense that can match its pace, pressure its quarterback, and force it out of the comfortable script it has enjoyed so far. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Heads To Texas With Everything On The Line
Ole Miss heads to Texas this week with a lot riding on the trip, and the matchup carries a little extra weight because of the quarterback on the other side. Arch Manning will lead the Longhorns, setting up the first Ole Miss game against a Manning at quarterback in nearly 30 years, a detail that gives this one a little more history than the usual late-season test. Texas enters as a slight home favorite, but the Rebels have steadied themselves with two wins since their loss and arrive with momentum.
The bigger question for Ole Miss is how it handles a Texas team that may be short-handed in a key spot. Colin Simmons is likely unavailable for the Longhorns, which could matter as the Rebels try to keep their path to the finish line alive. With the stakes rising and the margin for error shrinking, this is the kind of game that can tilt a season one way or the other, even before the final stretch truly begins. [Read more 🡒]