Ole Miss Knows What Oklahoma Might Try After Georgia's Dominant Win

Oklahoma uses a similar defensive philosphy to Georgia

Oct 31, 2026; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels offensive coordinator John David Baker looks on during warm ups prior to the game against the Auburn Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ole Miss travels to Norman, Okla., this weekend for the second straight year.

Greeting them in the unfriendly confines of Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium will be a defense similar to the one they faced last week against Georgia.

Ole Miss revealed a lot of holes in their 45-7 loss last weekend. Addressing these issues in practice is critical to the Rebels' success.

Brycen Sanders Addressed Elephant in the Room

Nov 7, 2026; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels offensive lineman Brycen Sanders (62) blocks during the fourth quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ole Miss center Brycen Sanders spoke at a press conference on Tuesday. In his remarks, he unpacked the loss at Georgia and looked ahead to Saturday's matchup.

He started out the press conference by addressing the elephant in the room.

"We’re [Ole Miss] embarrassed too, you know, to put that product on tape, and we want to go prove Saturday not only to ourselves but to everyone else the type of team we can be.”

A positive mindset heading into Oklahoma is critical for the Rebels to bounce back after last weekend. Embarrassment can motivate, but it can also be debilitating. Fortunately, Ole Miss plans to use it to fuel its future instead of dwelling on the past.

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Additionally, Sanders offered insight into the type of defense Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables runs.

“Venables runs a copycat defense. They’re going to see what Georgia did successfully, and they’re going to copy that. We’re going to see a lot of the same stuff that Georgia ran. We’re going to see that Saturday.”

The term "copycat defense" is not a demeaning one. It simply means Venables is a master at adjusting his preset defense scheme to his opponent's weaknesses.

After a 45-7 loss, a copycat defense isn't exactly what an offense wants to face. This week, inside the Oklahoma film room, Venables is likely tearing the Ole Miss offense to pieces. The miscues on the offensive line will undoubtedly be targeted again this weekend.

Despite Oklahoma's defensive prowess, Sanders showed no fear in his press conference.

"We [have] to watch tape [and] figure out what went wrong, what went good, and just fix that in practice this week,” Sanders said calmly. "It sounds simple, and sometimes that’s all a football season is."

It should reassure Ole Miss fans to hear the leader of their offensive line show such confidence. Sanders feels it's achievable to address the areas Georgia exposed ahead of Oklahoma.

It will not be as easy. The game comes down to whether Venables can exploit the Ole Miss offense or whether Baker can fix the issues in his scheme against Oklahoma. With nothing to lose on either side, this game will be an exhilarating contest of scheme.

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