Last October, then-favored Ole Miss covered a three-point spread against Vanderbilt to win 57-35, quashing any worries that a squirrelly Commodore team could make things interesting. That rout seemed less impressive by season’s end, when Derek Mason’s squad held a 5-7 record and rated 80th in S&P+.
These two teams haven’t changed much in a year’s time, at least not from a big-picture perspective. Derek Mason’s squad is 4-6 and 83rd in S&P+, although their last three losses have come by 10 or fewer points. Ole Miss carries nearly the exact same profile as a year ago, boasting an explosive offense whose output is countered by Wesley McGriff’s defense on a near-weekly basis.