What Ole Miss Does Better Than Texas And Why It Matters

The Texas Longhorns prepare to face one of the toughest schedules in the country when they hit the field for the 2026 season, and with lofty expectations heading into the season, every single battle the Longhorns find themselves in will carry a bit more weight.

The Longhorns face many early-season challenges, taking on the Ohio State Buckeyes in week two and heading out on the road to take on the Tennessee Volunteers in week four. However, the battles won't stop for the Longhorns all season with one of those tough matchups in the middle of the year.

Texas will be prepared to host the College Football Playoff semifinalist, Ole Miss Rebels, in the second month of the season as they head to Austin on October 24 in a game that could be played under the lights. The Rebels will undoubtedly be one of the toughest tests for the Longhorns, and here's a look at where they thrive, which could cause problems for Texas.

Ole Miss Returns its Defensive Play Caller

Mississippi Rebels head coach Pete Golding (center) reacts on the sidelines during the second half of the 2026 Sugar Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Georgia Bulldogs. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The Longhorns made one of the biggest surprise moves of the offseason, parting ways with defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and hiring Will Muschamp to take over the unit. While the Longhorns will be implementing a new defense and a new play caller with new tendencies and rules, the Rebels will not have such an adjustment period.

While the Rebels offense will have a new mind and player caller, as Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. depart the program. The Ole Miss defense won't see many changes as Pete Golding remains in Oxford and takes the reins of the program for his first season as a head coach.

Golding has been the mind behind the Rebels' defense for the last few years, being Ole Miss's defensive coordinator in the team's rise to becoming a national title contender. And now, as Golding leads the program, there won't be a new voice leading the defense as he will remain as the player caller for the Rebels' defense in 2026.

In 2025, Ole Miss's defense ranked towards the top of many statistics in the SEC ranking No. 5 in passing defense, top 10 in scoring defense and total defense, as well as ranked No. 12 in rushing defense.

The Longhorns will have their work cut out for them against the Rebels' defense, which was one of the top units in the conference from a season ago and helped them reach the College Football Playoff semifinals. And most importantly, the defense will have to same voice behind it as it did last year.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google