What is Ole Miss' Most Important SEC Matchup in 2023?

OXFORD, Miss. -- Every game is important in college football, but that goes double for the teams that play in the Southeastern Conference.

The Ole Miss Rebels have arguably the most difficult 2023 schedule in the country, and there will be little room for error if Lane Kiffin and Co. plan on finishing the regular season better than they did a year ago when the team skidded to an 8-5 overall record after starting 7-0.

As far as 2023 SEC games go, Ole Miss has homestands versus the LSU Tigers, Arkansas Razorbacks, Vanderbilt Commodores, and Texas A&M Aggies. The Rebels will also travel to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, and Georgia Bulldogs, and end the year with a road trip to Starkville for the annual Egg Bowl.

Which of these SEC matchups is the most important for Ole Miss this fall?

On3 listed the most important 2023 SEC games on Wednesday and pegged Arkansas to be the Rebels' premier conference opponent this season. Ole Miss was marked down as the most important SEC opponent for Auburn and Mississippi State in 2023.

Here is the explanation for Ole Miss vs. Arkansas.

Ole Miss — Oct. 7 vs. Arkansas

The Rebels’ schedule was completely backloaded in 2022, and Lane Kiffin & Co., cratered against tougher competition by losing five of six to end the season.

Among the defeats was a blowout loss in Fayetteville, where Arkansas ran Hog-wild on the Rebels for a 42-27 victory. With a 2023 slate that includes early back-to-back games against Alabama and LSU, beating the Razorbacks could go a long way in determining what sort of bowl game the Rebels go to come season’s end.

On Independence Day, The Grove Report's very own John Macon Gillespie listed his five 'season-defining' games for the Rebels, and he also considers Ole Miss vs. Arkansas to be a key matchup this season.

The Razorbacks got the best of Ole Miss in 2022, beating the Rebels in front of a home crowd 42-27. Arkansas quarterback K.J. Jefferson (a native of Sardis, Miss.) will be the headliner of the Razorback offense. The last time Jefferson and the Razorbacks came to Oxford, the Rebels won an electric 52-51 shootout after only seven total points were recorded in the first quarter.

Before Ole Miss can welcome Arkansas to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for a rematch in Week 6, however, the Rebels have to take on Alabama in Week 4 and LSU the Saturday after. If Ole Miss were to lose its first two SEC games of 2023, its matchup with Arkansas could become crucial to getting the team back on track.

You can follow Ben King on Twitter at @BKing_2023.

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