Expert predictions, picks for Florida football's Week 12 game vs Ole Miss Rebels

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Week 12 of the college football schedule has the Florida Gators traveling to Oxford, Mississippi, to take on the Ole Miss Rebels this Saturday.

Last year, the Orange and Blue pulled off a 24-17 upset in the Swamp, which paved the path for a 7-5 regular-season finish — the first winning campaign in four years — followed by the program's first bowl game win since 2019.

The storyline is a little bit different this time around.

Now, with Billy Napier banished from Florida's sidelines and the UF fanbase pining for Ole Miss skipper Lane Kiffin as his replacement, the Gators are in a must-win situation if they want to return to the postseason. Six losses have already been amassed and Billy Gonzales' boys need to win from here on out — that includes the pair of home games against the Tennessee Volunteers and Florida State Seminoles, respectively, following this one.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, the Gators Wire staff offers their expert picks and predictions for this weekend's battle between the Gators and Rebels inside Vaught Hemingway Stadium.

'It is going to be ugly and Kiffin is not going to hold back'

"Last week's performance in Lexington erased any positivity taken away from the Georgia loss the week prior: DJ Lagway has still lost his way; the defense absolutely collapsed; the injuries are piling up; the Gators were outcoached.

"Suffice it to say, Billy Gonzales is playing with paper hands right now.

"Sadly, I just do not see any way that Florida will prevail this Saturday over a top-10-ranked team at home. Worse than that, it is going to be ugly and Kiffin is not going to hold back like Kirby Smart did in the final minutes of the UGA game." — Adam Dubbin

PREDICTION: Ole Miss 38, Florida 9

'It feels like the Rebels have the upper hand this time'

"Having spent my undergrad years at Ole Miss and now pursuing my graduate studies at Florida, this matchup hits a little differently. I’ve seen both fanbases up close — the Grove’s buzzing tailgates on Saturdays and the Swamp’s deafening roar — and I know how much pride fuels each program.

"Still, it feels like the Rebels have the upper hand this time. Lane Kiffin’s offense should be too explosive for a Florida team that’s crawling at this point in the season. I think Ole Miss wins convincingly and this game won’t be close." — Aidan Gallardo

PREDICTION: Ole Miss 37, Florida 20

'Get ready for another beatdown'

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results… I guess Tramell Jones at quarterback is a change, but the likelihood of Florida and Billy Gonzales completely benching DJ Lagway feels unlikely. So, it would be insane to pick Florida against a top-10 program like Ole Miss.

"Mix in the fact that Lane Kiffin is the modern version of Steve Spurrier, at least as a troll, and this game has the potential to get ugly…

"The Gators haven't quit, but injuries have stripped every unit of talent, and Kentucky proved that shutting down Jadan Baugh is the answer to stopping Florida completely. Kiffin is going to put on a show and won't take his foot off the gas. That will make Florida and its fans want him even more. Get ready for another beatdown." — David Rosenberg

Prediction: Ole Miss 41, Florida 10

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football predictions, picks for Week 12 game v Ole Miss Rebels

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