Rebel Rundown: Assessing Ole Miss’ Season and Previewing Oklahoma

Ole Miss is looking to regroup in Norman against Oklahoma and needs to win out in order to possibly contend for a spot in the College Football Playoffs.

The Rebels fell nine spots in this week’s CFP rankings, following its uncompetitive loss to Georgia, and no longer possess control of their postseason destiny.

Ole Miss On SI's Tyler Komis and co-host Bailey Flanders dive into Ole Miss’ season up to this point and preview its game against Oklahoma this weekend. The two also discuss how realistic the program’s path back to the CFP is this season in episode 111 of The Rebel Rundown.

What Golding said about Oklahoma

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Oct 17, 2026; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Pete Golding looks on before the game against the Missouri Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I think the defensive concepts of both defensive head coaches as well — it’s like, ‘okay, how do I shrink the game, number one, when you’re playing an explosive offense?’ That’s by controlling the football, being able to establish the run game, which both those guys believe in. I think being defensive guys, you know what creates issues on defense alternative formations,” Golding said.

“I think you saw that with Florida. Last week there’s ten snaps of unbalance plus one run game. I think they’re getting the quarterback going in the run game as well to make you account for all 11. And then from a defensive standpoint create negative yardage plays (and are) very aggressive. Venables’ defense is very much like you saw on Saturday (against Georgia). You know that was probably one of their higher pressure games being Georgia. You know a lot of seven up looks and things like that.”

“I think some of the post-snap RPO game has been eliminated a little bit. Some of that decision making process for the quarterback. They still have RPOs. I think a lot of them are pre-snap box generated based on numbers and free access and things like that. I think a lot of the run schemes are similar in the same way. I think they’re trying to get the quarterback’s legs going a little more than before. They’ve always had some quarterback designed runs, but it felt like that was more of an emphasis in the Florida game.

Obviously (Jason) Witten being a tight end, the tight end’s going to be a piece of the package, and they’ve got some good tight ends,” Golding said of Oklahoma’s new interim offensive coordinator. “You know 81 is a really good player. But I think taking more off the quarterback you know as far as from a progression standpoint and reads post-snap and being a little more specific in the run game based on formation. A little more alternative with a shift and a motion, which has kind of been the theme against us anyway. So I think simplifying it within reason and then making you account for the quarterback.”

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