A Look at Ole Miss' Storied Bowl Game History
Ole Miss secured its first 10-win regular season in program history in 2021, and it earned its 10th berth in the Sugar Bowl as a result.
This will be the latest chapter in a bowl game history for the Rebels that has spanned almost 90 years.
Depending on what metric you use, Ole Miss is either first or second in the FBS in bowl game winning percentage among teams with at least 30 bowl appearances.
If you go by record on the field, Ole Miss is first in the nation with a winning percentage of .658. If you go by the NCAA record books, the win percentage for the Rebels is .631 due to the 2012 season's BBVA Compass Bowl being vacated.
Regardless, it is evident that Ole Miss has a long-weaving bowl game history that began back in 1935. Overall, the Rebels have participated in 38 postseason bowls with a record of 25-13 (or 24-13 if you take the vacated game into account).
Here is a bird's-eye view of Ole Miss' bowl game history.
A Brief History of College Football Bowl Games
The oldest bowl game in the United States, rightfully called "The Granddaddy of Them All," is the Rose Bowl Game.
The Rose Bowl traces its history back to 1902 as the Tournament East-West Football Game, and it has been played annually since 1916. Following the birth of the Rose Bowl, other postseason bowls began sprouting up around college football, namely the Orange Bowl (1935), Sugar Bowl (1935), Sun Bowl (1935) and Cotton Bowl (1937). The other bowls now a part of the "New Year's Six" came into being in 1968 (Peach Bowl) and 1971 (Fiesta Bowl).
Since these early days of college football postseason play, the number of bowl games has increased dramatically. As of the 2021-22 football season, there are 44 different bowl games in college football.
Quick Facts About Ole Miss Bowl Appearances
- Ole Miss has five teams that it has played the most in its bowl history: Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas and Texas Tech. The Rebels have played each of these opponents three times apiece.
- Since 1998, Ole Miss' most-played bowl opponents are Oklahoma State (3) and Texas Tech (2).
- Counting the 2021 season's Sugar Bowl, Ole Miss has faced a team currently in the Big 12 nine times in a bowl game since 1998.
- Johnny Vaught has the most bowl appearances as an Ole Miss head coach by far with 18 spanning from 1948 to 1970. Second-most in appearances by a Rebel head coach belongs to both Billy Brewer and David Cutcliffe with five.
- Counting the now-vacated BBVA Compass Bowl, Ole Miss has won more bowl games (25) than either of the other FBS schools in Mississippi has appeared in. Mississippi State and Southern Miss have both appeared in 24.
Ole Miss' Bowl Game History
As mentioned above, Ole Miss has participated in 38 bowl games in its program's history, winning 25 on the field and 24 in the NCAA record books.
The Rebels' bowl history began with the 1935 Orange Bowl in a 20-19 loss to Catholic University out of Washington, D.C. As of 2021, this remains the only Orange Bowl berth for Ole Miss in its football history.
Ole Miss has competed in 14 different bowl games with about one-fourth of its overall appearances coming in the Sugar Bowl. Here is a list of Ole Miss' different bowl berths sorted by number of appearances.
Sugar Bowl (10): 1952, 1954, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1969, 2015, 2021
Cotton Bowl (5): 1955, 1961, 2003, 2008, 2009
Independence Bowl (5): 1983, 1986, 1998, 1999, 2002
Liberty Bowl (4): 1965, 1968, 1989, 1992
Gator Bowl (3): 1958, 1970, 1990
Peach Bowl (2): 1971, 2014
Music City Bowl (2): 2000, 2013
Bluebonnet Bowl* (2): 1964, 1966
Orange Bowl (1): 1935
Sun Bowl (1): 1967
Outback Bowl (1): 2020
Delta Bowl* (1): 1948
Motor City Bowl (1): 1997
BBVA Compass Bowl (1): 2012
* denotes a bowl game that no longer exists
Ole Miss' Bowl Appearances in the BCS and College Football Playoff Eras
The Bowl Championship Series governed FBS football from 1998-2013 and was replaced by the College Football Playoff in 2014.
Counting the now-vacated BBVA Compass Bowl in the 2012 season and the upcoming Sugar Bowl, Ole Miss has appeared in 13 bowl games since 1998 with an overall record of 10-2 in those games.
1998 Season Independence Bowl vs. Texas Tech: W 35-18
1999 Season Independence Bowl vs. Oklahoma: W 27-25
2000 Season Music City Bowl vs. West Virginia: L 38-49
2002 Season Independence Bowl vs. Nebraska: W 27-23
2003 Season Cotton Bowl vs. Oklahoma State: W 31-28
2008 Season Cotton Bowl vs. Texas Tech: W 47-34
2009 Season Cotton Bowl vs. Oklahoma State: W 21-7
2012 Season BBVA Compass Bowl vs. Pittsburgh: W 38-17
2013 Season Music City Bowl vs. Georgia Tech: W 25-17
2014 Season Peach Bowl vs. TCU: L 3-42
2015 Season Sugar Bowl vs. Oklahoma State: W 48-20
2020 Season Outback Bowl vs. Indiana: W 26-20
2021 Season Sugar Bowl vs. Baylor: TBA
As No. 8 Ole Miss prepares to participate in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 against No. 7 Baylor, it will be a continuation of a bowl history that is among the most storied in college football. Kickoff between the Rebels and Bears is set for 7:45 p.m. CT on ESPN.
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