Ole Miss Already Passed Its First Major SEC Test, but Florida Is Another Story

Ole Miss earned a statement victory over No. 7 LSU, 32-34, this past Saturday. But now the attention for Pete Golding & Co. shifts to the next team on the schedule: No. 21 Florida in Gainesville.

The Gators are coming off a shoutout victory over Auburn on the road, beating the Tigers 44-39 at Jordan-Hare Stadium, and are 3-0 for the first time since 2019. This comes as Florida brought in former Tulane head coach John Sumrall, offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner from Georgia Tech and defensive coordinator Brad White from Kentucky.

Florida also retained 61 players from the 2025 roster and brought in the No. 24 transfer portal class, according to On3, a class headlined by Auburn wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. and Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo. In total, Sumrall & Co. brought in a total of 32 transfers.

Among those 61 returners is star running back Jadan Baugh, who has yet to have a game under 130 yards rushing. Baugh currently ranks fourth in the country among running backs with 8.48 yards per carry and second in the country in total rushing yards with 458.

Baugh has quickly established himself among the SEC and the nation's elite running backs, which makes containing him a priority for Ole Miss' defense. Quarterback Aaron Philo has also had a strong start to this season, throwing for 721 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions, while completing 73.4% of his passes and adding another 55 yards rushing and two scores.

With one of the most dynamic running backs in the country to focus on, and an emerging quarterback, that makes an already hostile road environment much tougher. The Rebels have also historically struggled in games immediately following major ranked matchups.

The clearest example of this trend was the 2024 season, coincidentally against Florida. No. 9 Ole Miss fell to the Gators 24-17 in a game that ultimately eliminated the Rebels from College Football Playoff contention. That 2024 contest was played two weeks after Ole Miss defeated No. 3 Georgia 28-10, and the Rebels were coming off a bye week.

A similar scenario unfolded in 2015, when No. 3 Ole Miss was defeated 38-10 by No. 25 Florida in the Swamp. The loss came two weeks after the Rebels' upset over No. 2 Alabama, 43-37, and a week after a win over Vanderbilt, 26-14.

Ole Miss will be looking to prove to the rest of the country that they can shake off the emotional weight of major games and respond the following week. At the same time, the Rebels face their third-ranked opponent this season and are playing their first true road game of the year. Limiting both Baugh and Philo will be a major priority for Ole Miss.

Kick off is set for 2:30 p.m. CDT in Gainesville, with the game aviliable on ABC.

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