Here’s Ole Miss’ 2017 football schedule

With a massive home game against Bama quickly approaching, Ole Miss dares not lift its gaze any farther than this Saturday. If the Rebels do sneak a peak into the future, though, they’ll see a rather intriguing 2017 schedule.

The entire SEC slate for next season was revealed on Tuesday night during a half-hour segment on the Network. As far as SEC West schedules go, it’s not half bad. The talking heads in Charlotte were quick to point to a four-week period spanning mid-September and early October that doesn’t see a single home game in Oxford and includes a voyage across the country to Cal and a couple stops in Alabama. Still, it’s not as bad as it seems: the Rebs’ Sept. 16 bye week provides an week of rest after the West Coast trip and additional prep time for Nick Saban’s bunch.

If the Rebels can manage to fight through that early stretch, they get to spend the rest of the season camped close to home. Only once during the final seven weeks does Ole Miss leave the Magnolia State, and that lone excursion is to Lexington.

Freeze might have preferred a back-loaded schedule considering he’ll be replacing Chad Kelly with what could very well be a redshirt freshmen in Shea Patterson, but this isn’t as gruesome as it could be.

The 2017 schedule

Sept. 2 vs. South Alabama

Sept. 9 vs. UT martin

Sept. 16 at Cal

Sept. 30 at Alabama

Oct. 7 at Auburn

Oct. 14 vs. Vanderbilt

Oct. 21 vs. LSU

Oct. 28 vs. Arkansas

Nov. 4 at Kentucky

Nov. 11 vs. Louisiana Lafayette

Nov. 18 vs. Texas A&M

Nov. 23 at Mississippi State