How Much of A Threat Is Ole Miss to Texas in 2026?

The Texas Longhorns will have already battled some of the toughest teams on their schedule by the time late October rolls around, having faced the Ohio State Buckeyes, Tennessee Volunteers, and Oklahoma Sooners in the first few weeks of the season.

However, the schedule for the Longhorns won't get any easier once they reach the middle of the season, as Texas keeps trucking through an expanded nine-game SEC schedule and one of the toughest schedules in the country.

And the battles will continue along for the Longhorns when they reach their October 24 matchup. Texas will get ready to take on one of the top teams in the country from a season ago, the Ole Miss Rebels, for the first time since 2013 and the first time as SEC opponents.

Texas vs. Ole Miss Will Be Appointment Television

Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) celebrates a play during the CFP Fiesta Bowl against Miami. | Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No top program has undergone as much turmoil and changes as Ole Miss over the last season, from becoming one of the top teams in the country and heavy favorites to compete for a national title in 2025. A season that ended up becoming clouded through the last few weeks of the season, with the future of their former head coach, Lane Kiffin, hanging over them.

Kiffin would end up departing the Ole Miss team right before the College Football Playoff to take over the LSU Tigers, and defensive coordinator Pete Golding would be given the keys to the program to steer the ship.

And without the coach who turned Ole Miss into a national power, the Rebels reached heights they hadn't seen before, making the College Football Playoff semifinals and coming one play away from booking a spot in the national championship game.

Now, as the Rebels head into the first full year post-Kiffin and in the Golding era with plenty of changes throughout the roster and coaching staff, Ole Miss is bringing back core pieces from last season's squad.

Ole Miss will have its star quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss, back under center after receiving another year of eligibility. Chambliss became one of the stories of the postseason a year ago after his performances against Georgia and Miami.

Another huge return for Golding and his squad is star running back Kewan Lacy coming back to Oxford. The running back became one of the top running backs in the country a season ago and makes for one of the dynamic backfields in all of college football with Chambliss.

A game that has the potential to be played under the bright lights of Darrell K. Royal Stadium between two teams that should be two of the best teams, not just in the SEC but in the country. A battle where the talent level is equal, with both teams holding championship aspirations, should undoubtedly be one of the biggest challenges for the Longhorns in 2026.

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