Ole Miss football 2022 season prediction, preview, awards, bowl game

After a fantastic season for Ole Miss football, let’s see what Lane Kiffin is cooking in The Sip.

Amidst the Knoxvillian barrage of golf balls and rogue bottles of mustard, Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss football team found a way to put together one of the best seasons the Rebels have ever had.

In Kiffin’s second year in Oxford, Ole Miss went 10-2, made it to the Sugar Bowl and finished the season ranked No. 11. The Rebels did not lose a game at home, and if we did not know any better, we could so classify this as the “pop” year for Ole Lane Train. However, that breakthrough season has to be sustained, which is why Kiffin hit the portal harder than his USC career hit the tarmac…

Hotty Toddy, look who is No. 29 on FanSided’s Preseason Top 50 Rankings, the Ole Miss Rebels!

Ole Miss football 2021 season in review

After a 5-5 (4-5) COVID year in Kiffin’s first season at the helm, Ole Miss did something it had never done before it is rich football history: Win 10 regular-season games. The Rebels were picked to finish in fourth place in a deep SEC West. As it turns out, the SEC media was off by two spots, as Ole Miss went 6-2 in SEC play, allowing them to be one game off-pace of division winner Alabama.

The Rebels beat Louisville in Atlanta, a place they never go to. After clobbering FCS power Austin Peay, Ole Miss washed the Tulane Green Wave, making the Greenies forever regret leaving the SEC. While the road date at Tuscaloosa was not as close as the previous rivalry game, Ole Miss showed signs of life that last year was going to be different. This is when things got interesting…

After winning the Houston Nutt Bowl over Arkansas, Kiffin went back to his ex’s place and got the dub. Vol Nation may have been throwing golf balls and mustard bottles at him like we would expect to see at a redneck family reunion that hates itself, but Ole Lane Train did get the last laugh. He walked out of Neyland Stadium victorious in the ole Cutcliffe/Kiffin/Manning-Finebaum Bowl.

After helping put another nail in friend Ed Orgeron’s LSU coffin, the Magnolia Bowl champions somehow lost to Bryan Harsin and Auburn at Jordan-Hare. It is because Kiffin is such a nice guy he decided Harsin needed some wins to go bowling in his first season on the job. There is no other explanation for this other than it’s SEC football! From there, Ole Miss was thinking New Year’s Six.

In sweet, sweet victory, yeah, Ole Miss beat its former recruiting wiz Hugh Freeze’s Liberty Flames. Don’t worry, he actually got out of his hospital bed for this one (cues “I Will Remember You”). With ESPN’s College GameDay in town, Ole Miss went Hotty Toddy on fast-talking Jimbo Fisher’s Texas A&M Aggies. Only one team could go 8-4, and it was his NIL Aggies after that game.

After anchoring down Clark Lea’s Vanderbilt Commodores, it wasn’t easy beating Mike Leach in the most sacred Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving in Starkville. Hashtag blessed with 10 wins on the season, Ole Miss was allowed to represent the SEC in the Sugar Bowl and play Big 12 champion Baylor. While starting quarterback Matt Corral was injured early on, Ole Miss had a fantastic year.

Previewing Ole Miss offense for 2022 season

Returning starters (4): Jonathan Mingo (WR), Jeremy James (LT), Nick Broeker (LG), Caleb Warren (C)
Newcomers (7): Jaxson Dart (QB), Zach Evans (RB), Jaylon Robinson (WR), Malik Heath (WR), Jordan Watkins (JR), Mason Brooks (RT), Michael Trigg (TE)
Impact player: Zach Evans (RB)

I wasn’t kidding when I said Kiffin was hitting the portal than he hit the tarmac after Pat Haden decided to go in a different direction at USC, alright. Ole Miss has roughly four returning starters on offense, but even that is a bit generous. Jonathan Mingo will be at wide receiver. Although Jeremy James, Nick Broeker and Caleb Warren are returning, they are all playing different positions.

And into the portal we go! Ole Miss has, I kid you not, seven transfers who are either first or second-stringers on their offensive depth chart. The most notable names of this magnificent seven are quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Zach Evans. Dart left USC to replace Corral, or contend with Luke Altmyer, for the starting job. Evans comes to The Sip after playing two seasons for TCU.

Though Dart may throw some darts, Evans is 100 percent the guy to watch thrive in the Ole Miss offense. The former five-star recruit initially got out of his NLI with Georgia to stay in-state and play for TCU. It was odd he was a Horned Frog the entire time, but now that his five-star talent is finally in a league where it belongs, Evans has a shot at being the best running back in the SEC.

Previewing Ole Miss defense for 2022 season

Returning starters (5): Tavius Robinson (DE), K.D. Hill (DT), Deantre Prince (CB), A.J. Finley (S), Otis Reese (SS)
Newcomers (2): Troy Brown (LB), Isheem Young (S)
Impact player: Troy Brown (LB)

While the Rebels return a little more on the defensive side of the ball, they only have around five starters. Tavius Robinson and K.D. Hill are among those who return in the trenches, while Deantre Prince and A.J. Finley are certainly familiar faces in the defensive backfield. Though Ole Miss has eight true freshmen or transfers fighting for starting jobs, this defense is a bit more seasoned.

Of the six players who transferred into the Ole Miss program that are contending for starting jobs on the Landshark defense, let’s turn our attention to these two gentlemen, shall we? Linebacker Troy Brown might be the best player on that side of the ball after making his way to Oxford from Central Michigan. Isheem Young has joined the Ole Miss secondary after suiting up for Iowa State.

Brown is definitely the player to watch on Ole Miss’ defense. The Chippewas have rather quietly been doing some good things under Jim McElwain. Not to jump the shark or anything, but we are going to need photographic evidence, proving that Brown is ready to be the best player who now calls himself a Landshark. Tony, where you at? If he is a beast at linebacker, then Hotty Toddy, y’all!

Ole Miss football players awards watch for 2022 season

Three Ole Miss football players have appeared on awards watch lists for the 2022 college season.

Troy Brown, Butkus

Brown is up for the Butkus as the best linebacker in college football. Though this remains one of the most competitive awards throughout college football, good for Brown being on the watch list.

Nick Broeker, Outland

Despite changing positions a bit, Nick Broeker is still up for the Outland as one of the best players in the country in the trenches. It is a bit of a stretch for Broeker to win this, but cool story, Hansel.

Michael Trigg, Mackey

Lost in all the transfer shuffling, tight end Michael Trigg makes his way from USC with Dart and onto the John Mackey Award Watch List. He is a long shot, but it is the thought that counts, right?

Ole Miss football biggest game on 2022 schedule

Looking at Ole Miss’ slate of games for 2022, it is truly a tale of two halves. Barring some unforeseen catastrophe in the non-conference, Ole Miss should start the year out 4-0 with wins over Troy, Central Arkansas, at Georgia Tech and Tulsa. Though it would not be shameful to drop the Kentucky game to begin SEC play, I mean, technically, the game is reserved for homecoming.

After beating cross-divisional rival Vanderbilt like a drum in Nashville, this is when things get interesting. Ole Miss should beat Auburn in a revenge game, but the Magnolia Bowl might be the one defining how the second half of the Rebels’ season unfolds. Kiffin and the boys will march into Death Valley hoping to survive. Brian Kelly’s Family might be cooking up something tasty by then.

If Ole Miss ruins a Baton Rouge Saturday night for all of Louisiana, the Rebels could really be 8-0 heading into a critical road date at Texas A&M. This will be a revenge game for the Aggies, but an Ole Miss team playing with confidence is a dangerous one. If Ole Miss gets through the Magnolia Bowl unscathed at 8-0, they could split their final four games to have a second 10-win season.

Ole Miss football best-case scenario

Piggy-backing off the previous point, Ole Miss has a realistic shot of starting the year out 8-0 if all the transfers Kiffin picked up hit. I mean, the Rebels would need to be last year’s Michigan State Spartans to pull that off, but still. This is possible. It is a bit too much to say Ole Miss will go into Kyle Field and get to 9-0 with this being a revenge game for Fisher’s Aggies and all, but watch this.

If there is a game where Alabama falls in the regular season, it might be to Team Lane Train firing on all cylinders in Oxford. It would require Evans to be Hercules in the backfield, as well as Altmyer or Dart playing the games of their lives. Well, if Zach Calzada and Stetson Bennett IV can beat Alabama, why not them? Of course, Ole Miss will celebrate too hard after handing Alabama an L.

Sam Pittman’s Hogs will be wooing and soo-ing ahead of the Houston Nutt Bowl. Fayetteville will be more Nutts than everything being half off at the Wal-Mart. It would be a letdown game of sorts for Ole Miss, but they will bounce back to win the Egg Bowl again on Thanksgiving, turning up the heat on Mike Leach’s seat a bit. Guess who’s getting to 10-2 (6-2) for the second season in a row?

Ole Miss football worst-case scenario

Alright, let’s say all these transfers do not address the major depth concerns in Oxford. Ole Miss is a team that could finish the season ranked if they were around 8-4. But what if it hits the fan? Will Joey Freshwater turn heel and leave town faster than you can say Rocky Top? Probably not, as Kiffin seems to have more self-awareness at this stage of his life, but he may feel some pressure.

Even in a worst-case scenario, it is hard to envision losing a single game in the non-conference, so the Rebels should start the year out 4-0 anyway. Ole Miss loses a nail-biter during homecoming vs. a strong Kentucky team. After anchoring Vanderbilt to the bottom of the Cumberland, Ole Miss drops two of the next three: Auburn, at LSU and at Texas A&M with the latter two the most likely.

Entering a bye after two straight road losses at LSU and Texas A&M, Ole Miss comes out flat against an Alabama team poised to get back to the College Football Playoff and win the whole damn thing. A third loss in a row becomes a fourth at the hands of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Hoping to save face Thanksgiving night, Will Rogers really raids some air for Leach to win the Egg Bowl.

Assuming a revenge victory over Auburn at home, it could hit the fan for Ole Miss at 6-6 (2-6).

Ole Miss football 2022 season prediction

There is a reason why many pundits believe that even with so much attrition from the year prior that Ole Miss could finish around 8-4 (4-4) and be a top-25 team. It is not going to get them anything close to a New Year’s Six bowl, but it would still be a successful season for the Rebels if this is how it shakes out. Here is how Ole Miss backs up its 10-win campaign with eight for 2022.

Again, they start the year out 4-0, as copious amounts of transfer talent will prevail over mostly college football cannon fodder. After rocking Tulsa like a hurricane, Ole Miss does not have the horses to keep pace with Kentucky on homecoming. The Rebels will then take out their Wildcat frustrations on Vanderbilt and Auburn to achieve bowl eligibility well before the end of October.

Unfortunately, Ole Miss is not ready to be road warriors just yet, as they drop a pair before the bye at LSU and Texas A&M. Despite a strong effort, it will likely be three losses in a row, as the Rebels fall to the Crimson Tide at home. Fortunately, newfound confidence emanates out of the Alabama game, as the Rebels finish the season on a positive note with savory Nutt and Egg Bowl victories.

Ole Miss football 2022 bowl game prediction

In a game once defined by Bloomin’ Onions, Ole Miss will take on Michigan State in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida. Nobody cares what its actual name is, this is the Transfer Bowl, dammit. Kiffin will have taken up Florida Gulf Coast residency, akin to his days being an Owl in Boca Raton. While Sparty will appreciate getting out of the cold, Kiffin will appreciate not getting tarmac-ed.

Up next: No. 28 LSU Tigers

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Ole Miss football 2022 season prediction, preview, awards, 2022 bowl game

By John Buhler | Aug 9, 2022