This Might Be the Most Important Game of the Ole Miss Football Season
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Ole Miss will face a lot of SEC teams this year that they didn't face last season.
These teams include Vanderbilt, Missouri, and Auburn.
However, the most important matchup for the Rebels against a new face is their game against the University of Texas.
The Texas Game Looms Large
This game can be a little overlooked because of the returning juggernauts on the 2026 schedule that the Rebels played last season, like the LSU Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs, and Oklahoma Sooners.
The last time these two teams met in Austin was in 2013, when the Rebels were able to beat Texas 44-23.
However, things have changed since 2013. There's a new era in the Longhorn State. Texas is led by Head Coach Steve Sarkisian and a quarterback with a familiar last name to all Rebels fans.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning is the grandson of Archie Manning and the nephew of Eli Manning. Arch has one full year under his belt and is the favorite to win the Heisman heading into year two, per Sports Illustrated.
It is safe to say this Texas program has revamped itself since the last time the Rebels saw it.
This matchup will come in week eight of the regular season and could be a turning point in the Rebels' season.
Ole Miss will have been battle-tested by the time they head to Austin. They play teams like LSU, Missouri, and the Florida Gators at the Swamp.
This game can set the tone for a stretch the Rebels head into after they play Texas.
After Texas, the Rebels have a trap game against the Auburn Tigers, a Georgia team who is looking for revenge after last year, and an Oklahoma team that is in the same boat.
If Ole Miss loses this game against Texas, it could put the team in a funk right before a very difficult stretch of football. This could lead to significant losses and missing the playoffs.
In a recent interview, Coach Sarkisian took a shot at the Rebels when he shared that "the University of Texas only accepts 50% of the credits a transfer player has who is trying to play for and get a degree from Texas. At Ole Miss, all you have to do is take basket weaving, and you can get a degree," per Sports Illustrated.
Ole Miss is not going to take too kindly to that comment; it might be reflected on that football field in Austin on October 24th.
With such big names that are playing the Rebels for the second time in as many seasons, Ole Miss cannot overlook a Texas team that clearly does not respect them and could be a top contender this year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/olemiss as This Might Be the Most Important Game of the Ole Miss Football Season.
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