The Grove Report Staff Gives Predictions For Ole Miss vs. Auburn On Saturday
No. 10 Ole Miss and No. 18 Auburn are set to do battle on Saturday night at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The Tigers come into the game off of a bye week while the Rebels come off of a home win over LSU. Ole Miss has not beaten Auburn since 2015, a season that also saw the Rebels win the Sugar Bowl over Oklahoma State.
Here are the predictions for Saturday's game from The Grove Report staff.
John Garcia Jr.
This is a big one in just about every way possible. Both programs control their destiny in terms of being right there with Alabama atop the SEC West (Auburn controls its path to Atlanta, technically), and both programs operate in similar fashion to a degree. Experienced, mobile quarterbacks overcoming turnover issues from years prior while shouldering the bulk of the load, complemented by a strong, multi-back rushing attack. The Auburn defense is a bit more consistent than Ole Miss', but the Rebels have forced six turnovers over the last three games.
What I'm trying to say is that it's going to be close. I don't envision a rout either way, especially with the uncertainty around just how healthy Matt Corral is. The pass catcher group appears to be getting healthier, though, something we haven't really seen since Week 1 against Louisville. The pace and options at Lane Kiffin and Jeff Lebby's disposal that night created a lot of optimism, but doing something similar against a great set of corners won't be an easy task.
Still, there's something about this Rebel team. They've won pretty and with finesse, they've won ugly and with grit and have withstood slow starts for others. Starting slow against a good team on the road won't be advisable this time around, and I don't think it happens. Rebels play clean, utilize all three healthy backs to stay balanced and the now-healthy group of pass catchers makes just enough plays to out-gun Auburn's offense.
Prediction: Ole Miss 31, Auburn 27
Carleigh Holt
Ole Miss is on a high after getting many 10s last week in football; Eli Manning retired his No. 10 jersey, and Ole Miss became No. 10 in the AP poll. Corral will need to throw the ball to stay ahead of the Auburn defense, and Auburn does not have an offense that I believe can keep up. Ole Miss will be 7-1 after beating Auburn and continue to climb in the AP poll along with Corral continuing to impress Heisman voters.
Prediction: Ole Miss 36, Auburn 24
Ben King
Ole Miss wins a close one at Auburn thanks to another Heisman performance from Matt Corral.
Prediction: Ole Miss 35, Auburn 28
Cole Thompson
Auburn is coming in ready for a shot to win the SEC West. So is Ole Miss, who currently needs to win out while hoping Alabama drops a game to either Auburn, LSU or Arkansas.
The biggest concern is will the Rebels be able to stop the ground game. Right now, Auburn is averaging 196 yards per game on the ground and averaging 5.7 yards as a team. Ole Miss' defense is allowing roughly 4.1 yards per carry. Limiting the run game and forcing Bo Nix to pass is going to be key. Can they get it done on the Plains?
Prediction: Ole Miss 37, Auburn 30
John Macon Gillespie
I've volleyed back-and-forth on this one for a while, but I'm taking Ole Miss to win a close one. When it comes down to teams who appear to be pretty even in a lot of ways, give me the team with the better quarterback, and that happens to be Ole Miss in 2021.
Prediction: Ole Miss 34, Auburn 27
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