Ranking Every Road Game On The Ole Miss Schedule From Easiest to Hardest

This upcoming fall, the Ole Miss Rebels have the fifth toughest schedule amongst top CFP contenders with six ranked opponents in its post-spring top 25 and calling out Georgia, LSU, Louisville, Texas, and Oklahoma. Three out of these five ranked games are on the road.

For Rebels fans this might seem like a bad thing until you remember Ole Miss is the No. 11 ranked squad in post-spring rankings. The danger zone is late October through mid-November: at Texas, Auburn, Georgia, at Oklahoma in four straight games.

Vanderbilt - Week 5

Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia — Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) runs past Tennessee defenders during the third quarter at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

By no means is this a walk-in-the-park game for Ole Miss. In 2025, led by quarterback Diego Pavia, the Commodores won 10 games for the first time in program history. This past winter, Vanderbilt lost a few key players to the draft or the transfer portal.

Starting QB Diego Pavia signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an UDFA, Tre Richardson, leading receiver last season, transferred to Louisville, and linebacker Langston Patterson, who had the third most tackles on the team and a leader on defense.

Ole Miss hasn’t traveled to Vanderbilt since 2022, when Jaxon Dart and the Rebels won 52-28, with Dart throwing for 448 yards. The Rebels' bread and butter will come from the ground game and Kewan Lacy, as the Commodores had the No. 18-ranked rush defense in the nation, allowing just under 110 yards a game to running backs. Vanderbilt losing some star power is what hurts them most and earns them the easiest road game for the Rebels.

Florida - Week 4

Gators punter punting — Nov 29, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators kicker Tommy Doman (19) punts against the Florida State Seminoles during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Again, another hard challenge on the road for the Rebels, they will travel to Gainesville, Florida, in week four to face new head coach Jon Surmall and the Florida Gators. Florida has tons of talent on the 2025 roster, but it ended up doing nothing with it. After firing Billy Napier, they brought in Surmall, who led the Tulane Greenwave to the CFP.

The Gators might have the best wide receiver core in the SEC with Dallas Wilson, Vernell Brown III, Eric Singletary Jr., and depth pieces like Micah Mays Jr., Bailey Stockton, TJ Abrams, and Jaylen Lloyd. They also have arguably the best running back in the conference, in Jaden Baugh.

A two-man battle at the quarterback position this summer is between Tramell Jones and Aaron Philo. Whichever QB comes out on top will have an elite core to toss the ball to.

On the defensive side of things, Florida’s 2025 defense was middle of the nation, ranking 70th in total defense, allowing 376.8 yards a game.

A brutal stat for Gators fans to read might change this fall as defensive-minded head coach Jon Surmall took over and hit the portal right away, landing DJ Coleman from Baylor to replace star DB Devin Moore, Emmanuel Oyebadejo, transfer EDGE from Jacksonville State, who our friends at Florida Gators on Si called the “most underrated transfer additions in the country.”

Returning Gators include linebacker Myles Graham, who led the team with 76 tackles, and defensive linemen Kamran James and Brendon Bett, who had 6.5 sacks combined in 2025.

Oklahoma - Week 10

Sooner Qb John Matee — Oklahoma's John Mateer (10) signs autographs following the University of Oklahoma Sooners Spring Game at the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday April 18, 2026. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Last year, Ole Miss headed to Norman and dominated the fourth quarter, leaving with a 34-26 victory. This was the first time the Rebels ever traveled to Norman, and they will do so again this fall. Over the winter, the Sooners got even better on paper, but they have an insane schedule to play.

Returning players include star quarterback John Mateer, who looked like a Heisman candidate before injuring his finger last season. The Sooners brought in Trell Harris from Virginia to catch passes from Mateer. In 2025, Harris had 59 catches for 847 yards and five touchdowns. Tory Blaylock and Xavier Robinson both return to the Oklahoma backfield this fall, and the defense is ranked by ESPN SP+ the 12th-best defense coming into 2026.

The Sooners' only problem is the star power they lost defensively. The defensive line lost serious veteran talent: Gracen Halton, Marvin Jones Jr., R Mason Thomas, and Damonic Williams are gone. Four SEC-experienced linemen combined for 13.5 sacks, 30% of the sacks produced for Oklahoma.

Texas - Week 8

Arch manning — Dec 31, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) rushes with the ball for a touchdown against the Michigan Wolverines during the second half at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

In the 2013 game, the last time Ole Miss traveled to Austin was in 1925. Not a ton of history between these schools until recently, when now starting quarterback Arch Manning chose the Longhorns over Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss, his uncle and grandfather’s alma mater, to pursue his own playing career and path.

Texas is always one of the scariest places to play in college football, as the stadium packs 101,000 people on an average home game. The Longhorns have the Heisman favorite Arch Manning at QB and elite weapons surrounding him, including Cam Coleman, a star transfer out of Auburn, Ryan Wingo, who led Texas in yards, receptions, and touchdowns in 2025, and Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown, who will be running backs 1A and 1B.

Defensively, Will Muschamp will take over the core that was mediocre at best last year, allowing 338.8 yards a game. The key defensive add is Rasheem Biles from Pitt. He had 101 tackles, 17 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 2 INT, and 6 PBUs in 2025, and Texas Football called him the No. 1 linebacker in the portal and a strong replacement for Anthony Hill Jr.

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