Every Swing Game on the 2026 Ole Miss Football Schedule

The 2025 Ole Miss Rebels shocked many people. For the first time in team history, they won 13 games and made the College Football Playoff.

The Rebels seemed to be spiraling downhill toward the end of the season, as drama involving Lane Kiffin unfolded, including locker room division, players upset with the staff and coaches leaving right before the biggest game in Ole Miss history. It was a lot to take in for young student-athletes.

After the debacle involving Kiffin’s departure, the Rebels put their heads down and went to work, blowing out Tulane in front of 70,000 fans at home, then traveling to New Orleans to defeat the Georgia Bulldogs, something they couldn’t do under Kiffin back in October. The Rebels’ historic run came to an end with a loss to the Miami Hurricanes, but to say they reached this point before the season started would have sounded unbelievable to most people.

With this in mind and a loaded roster, while adding the second-best portal class in the nation, there are still some toss-up games on the Ole Miss schedule.

Biggest Swing Games On the Ole Miss Schedule

Louisville Cardinals - Sept. 6

Cardinals Quarterback during spring cam — Scenes from the Louisville Cardinals open practice. March 27, 2026 | Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Starting the season strong with a trap game in Nashville against the Louisville Cardinals. Louisville had a very up-and-down 2025 season. Some season highlights included beating the No. 10-ranked Miami and forcing Carson Beck to throw four interceptions while on the road.

Either way the Rebels cannot walk into Nashville Week 1 of 2026 and underestimate the Cardinals. In 2025 Louisville offense was averaging 384.5 yards a game and 29.1 points a game while Pete Golding’s defense was allowing 348.0 yards per game and 21.1 points a game. An even matchup on the defensive side of the ball for the Rebels.

Unfortunately for Louisville the Ole Miss offense was one of if not the best in the nation averaging 489.7 yards per game and 36.9 points. The bread and butter of the Rebels success is going to come from running back Kewan Lacy. In 2025 the Cardinal defense gave up almost 115 yards per game while Lacy averaged 104.5 rushing yards a week.

Missouri Tigers - Oct. 17

Five short weeks after facing Louisville the Rebels welcome the Missouri Tigers to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford. Mizzou has been on a great run as of recently in terms of program history. In the past five years the Tigers have 46 wins and two bowl wins under their belts. This game is the first game in these teams’ history since 2019 as they have eight total meetings and Mizzou leads the all-time series 7-1.

The Mizzou starting quarterback is also no other than former Rebels quarterback Austin Simmons. Simmons, after going down to an injury in week against Kentucky, Trinidad Chambliss took over and became a Heisman front-runner. Simmons entered the transfer portal following the Ole Miss CFP run and signed with Mizzou to take over the starting job.

Against an old foe expect Simmons to be on his best performance especially being in a familiar environment as the Rebels play at home. While Simmons could be balling out, Mizzou’s defense most certainly will. In 2025 the Tigers ranked seventh in total defense, 19th in scoring defense and ranked eighth in yards per play allowed. The Tigers have seven starters who were a part of this seventh-ranked defense last season.

Oklahoma - Nov. 14

Sooners head — Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables is pictured during the University of Oklahoma Sooners Spring Game at the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday April 18, 2026. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wrapping up the season the Rebels are challenged with a matchup in Norman, Oklahoma, against the Sooners. A Sooner team coming off a CFP appearance and hungry for another one will be a tough challenge especially deep in November.

In 2025 the Sooners defense was one of if not the best in the country. No. 4 in yards per play allowed, No. 3 in rush defense, No. 1 in the SEC and allowed the fewest amount of points per game.

Ironically last season the Sooners allowed the most points in their game against Ole Miss. The Rebel offense led by Trinidad Chambliss scored 34 points on the Sooners with 431 total yards of offense.

All these games are winnable games for the Rebels, with that being said one off week from Ole Miss on either side of the ball can be destructive for their season.

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