Brian Kelly's Ole Miss Pick Could Say More About LSU Than the Rebels

Former LSU head coach Brian Kelly has picked the No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels to defeat the No. 7 LSU Tigers in the Magnolia Bowl this Saturday night.

He justified his picks by saying the home crowd will make the difference, pointing to the fact that the home team has won this matchup four years in a row.

Kelly is extremely familiar with the rosters, coaches and stadium environments for both teams, since he was the head coach at LSU for the previous four matchups.

But is Kelly's pick just sour grapes after getting fired last season? Or is it a legitimate sign of how LSU could react to a rowdy Vaught-Hemingway Stadium?

Brian Kelly Has a Point

Mississippi Rebels fans rush the field after defeating the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

College football is arguably the best sport to have home-field advantage, especially if you're in the SEC with the crowds those teams attract.

Since 2021, SEC teams are 436-168 when playing at home. Ole Miss and LSU follow this trend and also win often at home, with Ole Miss being 38-6 and LSU 34-6 in their own stadiums.

Combine that with the home team's winning streak this matchup is in the midst of, and it's easy to see how Kelly ended up deciding on Ole Miss.

LSU also has several players starting who saw legitimate playing time in 2025. The 2025 season saw LSU get off to a 4-0 start that included what was supposed to be a major win at Clemson in Week 1. However, Kelly and the Tigers proceeded to lose two of the next three games, the losses being away games to Ole Miss and Vanderbilt.

It's worth wondering if Kelly thinks that the same players who struggled on the road last year will struggle again this season, especially in a game where the crowd will be as passionate as this one.

It's also possible that these issues could've been solved for LSU by firing Kelly and bringing in new head coach Lane Kiffin. However, that may be wishful thinking, considering nine of Ole Miss' 12 regular-season losses since 2021 have been on the road.

For all the talk about the environment and all the drama surrounding the game, the fact is, the winner of the Magnolia Bowl will be decided by the matchups and on-field play of LSU and Ole Miss.

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