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Joel Klatt predicts winner of Oklahoma-Ole Miss in Week 9

FOX analyst Joel Klatt likes No. 13 Oklahoma to edge No. 8 Ole Miss on Saturday.
Patrick Previty|
Joel Klatt
Joel Klatt | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

FOX analyst Joel Klatt likes No. 13 Oklahoma to edge No. 8 Ole Miss on Saturday — but he's siding with the road underdog against the number. His score: Oklahoma 24, Ole Miss 21, a three-point margin that trails a market hovering around OU -5.5. Kickoff is 11 a.m. CT on ABC in Norman.

"This is going to be a great game. Lane Kiffin against Brent Venables, those two guys calling the plays against one another," Klatt said on The Joel Klatt Show. He framed it as a classic offense vs. defense matchup, pointing to the Rebels' firepower against a Sooners unit that's been among the nation's stingiest.

Ole Miss is averaging 491.9 total yards and 37.4 points per game, while Oklahoma leads the FBS in total defense (213.0 yards allowed per game) and sits No. 2 nationally in scoring defense (9.4 PPG).

"Ole Miss is a team that has a great offense and [is] suspect on the defensive side... Meanwhile, OU — great defense, I think suspect on the offensive side," Klatt said. "[John] Mateer has not looked himself since coming back from that injury."

Ole Miss' defense surrendered 43 points in last week's loss at Georgia and struggled to corral Gunner Stockton (4 TD passes) as the Bulldogs rallied. On the other side, Oklahoma's production has leaned defense-first; quarterback John Mateer enters with a modest 7-to-6 TD–INT line and the Sooners are at 905 rushing yards over seven games. In his return to play against Texas, he threw three interceptions and 0 touchdowns. Although he did look better against Auburn.

Klatt also weighed the setting and the month ahead for Brent Venables' team. "This is the first of the season-ending five-game gauntlet for OU... I don't love Oklahoma through the gauntlet, but at the beginning here, maybe they've got some life," Klatt said.

That stretch begins with Ole Miss and continues with a run of five straight ranked opponents.

The matchup depends on whether Oklahoma's front can squeeze Trinidad Chambliss and an Ole Miss pass game that's posting 304.1 passing yards per game.

Klatt's pick for Oklahoma-Ole Miss

"So here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to take the 5.5 for Ole Miss. I still like that, but I think Oklahoma wins the game, 24-21. Somehow, someway, because of that leaky defense for Ole Miss, they find a way to win; they win it by three."

John Mateer
Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

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Patrick Previty
PATRICK PREVITY

In addition to writing for On SI, Patrick is also a site expert for Canes Warning and has previously written for outlets such as Betsided, Orlando Magic Daily and Southbound and Down. He serves as a sideline reporter for ESPN+, covering UCF athletics and the Big 12 Conference. In 2024, he hosted a live, on-site UCF football pregame show that aired on ESPN+. Patrick has interviewed numerous figures in the college sports world, ranging from players to UCF’s athletic director. Recently, he traveled to Mobile, Ala., to cover the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he spoke with multiple NFL Draft prospects. Patrick also hosts coverage of the Orlando Magic for Digest Media on YouTube and has become one of the leading voices on the team in the region. Patrick also helps run the social media department for The Voice of College Football Network, focusing on breaking news and digital storytelling. Patrick previously spent time at CNN in the sports department, where he assisted with CNN’s World Sport show and Bleacher Report updates for morning programming. Hailing from the Tampa Bay Area, Patrick is a lifelong fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning, Orlando Magic and UCF Knights.

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