– Last Updated on July 25, 2018 10:36 am
2018 Football Preview – SEC – Rebels
Looking for 2018 Ole Miss Rebels predictions? The Rebels have a lot of problems, but head coach Matt Luke will continue to try and steady the ship. Ole Miss is under sanctions, meaning they have reduced scholarships and no bowl game for them this year.
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2018-19 College Football Preview – Ole Miss Rebels
Head Coach: Matt Luke
2017 Record: 6-6
Ole Miss Rebels Odds to win the 2018 FBS Championship:
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Matt Luke did a good job in handling the turmoil last year when he got the keys to the car at the last minute when Hugh Freeze resigned.
2018 Ole Miss Rebels Predictions: Team Strengths
Connection: Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu stepped in nicely last year after Shea Patterson suffered a knee injury that cost him the entire season.
Ta’amu put up some fine numbers in the five games he Ta’amu threw for over 300 yards against Arkansas and Kentucky. He followed that up with over 400 yards against UL-Lafayette. All told, he threw for 1,604 yards, eleven touchdowns, and four interceptions.
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The good news for Ta’amu and Ole Miss is the fact that they bring back their top three weapons from their number 11th ranked passing unit.
A.J. Brown is slated to be one of the best wide receivers in the 2019 NFL Draft. And last year’s numbers show the kind of upside he has; Brown caught 75 balls for 1,252 yards and eleven touchdowns.
DaMarkus Lodge and D.J. Metcalf are back as well a
Same can be said about T.J. Hammonds who didn’t get many touches last year, but he doesn’t need it as he can take it to the house at anytime.
Hammonds rushed for 8.19 yards per pop with his highlight games coming against Ole Miss where he ran for 84 yards on 7.64 yards per rush and against Coastal Carolina where he ran for 119 yards on 17.00 yards per pop and a touchdown.
Also, don’t sleep on Rakeem Boyd. He’s a junior college transfer who ran for over 1,200 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns last year.
2018 Ole Miss Rebels Predictions: Team Weaknesses
Soft Underbelly: Ole Miss was awful on defense last year. The Rebels allowed just slightly under 35 points per game – which was good for 110th in the nation; they were 116th in total yards, and 124th in rushing defense.
The good news is they were pretty decent against the pass ranking 52nd. I would expect the same roughly the same results, well, they should be a little better, but don’t expect a miracle turn around.
Freshman All-American Benito Jones will man the front of the defensive line, along with Josiah Coatney, but Ole Miss lose two valuable pieces in Marquis Haynes and Breeland Speaks.
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Part of the reason why Ole Miss had a decent pass defense was because of their pass rush of Haynes and Speaks. Ole Miss will have to find a way to replace those two and generate pressure.
The good news is that the secondary is mostly unchanged. Zedrick Woods and C.J. Moore will man the back end and Myles Hartsfeld, Ken Webster, and Javien Hamilton are back at cornerback.
Unfortunately, Ole Miss will have to find a way to replace linebacker DeMarquis Gates. He was a valuable veteran member of the Ole Miss defense generating over 100 tackles.
There is talent here, but overall, with the sanctions, this is a team that lacks depth. And that’s their ultimate achilles heel.
Ole Miss Rebels Prediction:
The results in 2018 might be pretty similar to 2017. It wouldn’t at all be a surprise to see Ole Miss sit at 5-6 as they take on in-state rival Mississippi State, just like last year, and perhaps beat them – just like last year.
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After six games last year they were 3-3; this year I would expect them to be 3-3. That Texas Tech game is a swing game and if they win that, a 4-2 start is looking pretty good.
Then they take on Arkansas in another swing game, South Carolina is a potential swing game, and then the finale against Mississippi State.
If they win all their swing games then they could potentially go 8-4. But, I think 6-6 is a reasonable and realistic to expect from this Rebels team.
2018 Ole Miss Rebels Football Schedule
- 9/1/18 TBD TT
- 9/8/18 TBD SIU
- 9/15/18 TBD BAMA
- 9/22/18 TBD KENT
- 9/29/18 TBD @LSU
- 10/6/18 TBD ULM
- 10/13/18 TBD @ARK
- 10/20/18 TBD AUB
- 11/3/18 TBD USC
- 11/10/18 TBD @TAMU
- 11/17/18 TBD @VAND
- 11/22/18 TBD MSU
What do you think about our 2018 Ole Miss Rebels predictions? Please leave us a comment below telling us how you think they’ll do in 2018!
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