Ole Miss football's pre-Egg Bowl schedule is kinder in 2023 - but Rebels face familiar obstacle
OXFORD — Lane Kiffin likes the Thanksgiving plate the schedule has fixed for Ole Miss football much more than he did a season ago.
This season, the Rebels and Mississippi State both host Group of Five programs before the Egg Bowl, with Louisiana-Monroe (2-8) visiting Oxford and Southern Miss (3-7) heading to Starkville. And both games start at 11 a.m., meaning neither coaching staff has an edge when it comes to preparation time and both rosters will be similarly rested for the short turnaround.
In 2022, by comparison, Ole Miss (8-2, 5-2 SEC) played a night game at Arkansas the week before the Egg Bowl. Mississippi State (4-6, 1-6) hosted East Tennessee State in a game that kicked at 11 a.m.
"I think it's set up better this year," the Ole Miss coach said Monday. "We were very disappointed in that setup. So, glad this year is much more equal from a setup standpoint about when we're playing and the type of team we're playing."
Kiffin suffered his first loss in the rivalry last season, 24-22, headlining an 0-4 season-ending tailspin.
The Rebels have been answering questions about last season's collapse for nearly a full calendar year. They've long insisted this team won't buckle the same way.
"We don't have quitters," safety Trey Washington said.
Their chance to prove it has arrived.
Kiffin said the staff will wrap up their postgame obligations following Saturday's game against the Warhawks and return to the Manning Center to prep for their game against the Bulldogs.
"This is the way it should be with the early kick," Kiffin said. "Instead of getting back here at one in the morning like last time, we'll actually finish the game and start working Saturday afternoon after the game for the opponent."
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There are plenty of parallelisms to be drawn between this season and last. The 10th game of the regular season, in both cases, saw the Rebels lose sight of their College Football Playoff aspirations. This Ole Miss team is banged up, too, having fielded a patchwork offensive line against Georgia last week. And Kiffin's name is being floated in connection to a different SEC job. At this stage, his reported links with the Texas A&M opening seem like the educated guesswork common at the early stages of the process, while the reporting connecting him to the Auburn job at this time last year was too loud to ignore.
But the key difference lies in the quality of the remaining two foes on the Rebels' schedule.
Ole Miss is favored by as many as 37 points ‒ depending on the sportsbook ‒ against ULM. It will be a healthy favorite on the road against the Bulldogs, who fired coach Zach Arnett on Monday, too.
The remaining question for Ole Miss this season is as follows: Can the Rebels conquer their own disappointment?
If they can, they'll give themselves a great shot to play in a New Year's Six bowl game and keep Kiffin's momentum rolling. If they fail, they'll force us to doubt whether this team was ever any different after all.
"We are a way, way more mature team," wideout Jordan Watkins said. "And I think we'll be able to handle it pretty well."
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Lane Kiffin likes Ole Miss football path to Egg Bowl better this year
