College Football Picks: Ole Miss vs. LSU
After putting together a dominating defensive performance against Tennessee at home, Ole Miss will look to keep things rolling on the road against conference rival LSU. NCAAF expert picks may have had the ranking for this matchup switched at the beginning of the season, but now Ole Miss comes in ranked 3rd and LSU is 24th in the country. This is one of those games where you can throw the records and rankings away since these teams always play each other tough. There aren't many things that are friendly about this rivalry, so even though LSU has struggled at times this season, NCAAF predictions experts believe they will put up a good fight and have a chance to pull off the upset.
Even when Ole Miss didn't play their best game against Tennessee, they still won 34-3. What may have been overlooked by anyone who just saw the final score was that quarterback Bo Wallace was held in check by the Volunteers defense, especially early on. The Rebels defense kept them in the game until the offense got things going enough to put the game out of reach. If Wallace and the offense gets off to a slow start again, LSU should be able to capitalize and take an early lead. LSU's defense will provide another tough challenge for Wallace so they will have to stay on the field as much as possible. Ole Miss may have suffered a little letdown when they weren't in the national spotlight against Tennessee. Now they are right back in it with another chance to prove that their ranking is not a fluke.
Even when things are going bad for LSU, Les Miles always seems to find a way to pull off an upset over a top-ranked team. With a big rivalry like this game, it seems like this would be the perfect opportunity for that to happen. Expect Miles to put pressure on Wallace all game and force him into some mistakes. He will need enough production from his offense just to control time of possession and the Tigers will have a chance at an upset. Running back Leonard Fournette has been improving every week, but he will face his toughest test of the season so far. The Rebels defense has shut down some good offenses already this season so they will be looking to do the same this Saturday.
This is one of the most overlooked rivalries in college football, mostly because Ole Miss hasn't been relevant in recent years. Make no mistake about it, though, these two teams don't like each other and it always turns into a physical battle. The stakes have never been higher for Ole Miss, so LSU will be fired up and ready to knock them off and put them back where they feel they belong. This game could become a chess match with both defenses making some big stops down the stretch. On paper, this looks like a game that will be very low scoring so turnovers will be critical for both teams. LSU will open the playbook and run a couple of trick plays that set them up for scores. Ole Miss struggles offensively and can't rebound when they are behind, which leads to an upset in Baton Rouge.
College Football Predictions for this matchup:
Ole Miss 17
LSU 20
Ole Miss 17
LSU 20
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