Ole Miss vs. Arkansas football 2019: Preview and predictions

Well, week one was a bust for some. The Rebs came out flatter than ever on offense and couldn’t even manage 200 yards and scored only 10 points, losing to Memphis 15-10 at the Liberty Bowl last Saturday. But, the defense looked much better, shutting out the Tigers in the second half and giving us some semblance of hope for week two.

So, here goes nothing.

This team has to find a way to shore up the issues on the offensive line or there won’t be much of anything to cheer for in 2019. The PFF grades were so poor they reminded us of a fraternity pledge’s exam grades in his first fall semester in Oxford. They were horrid. If offensive line coach Jack Bicknell can’t fix this pronto and/or mix things up to find the right combination of dudes to put out there, Matt Corral and Rich Rodriguez won’t have much to ride scooters with dogs about.

Defensively, the Rebs were great all things considered. They are currently 10th in Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings after week one and are top 70 in total defense for this first time since Barack Obama was in the White House. This MUST stay consistent while the offense tries to find their identity. And it must be present this weekend when Arkansas brings in Rakeem Boyd and the Razorback offense that ran for 204 yards last week against Portland State.

Chad Morris is going to want to establish the run first and foremost before turning loose his new starter at quarterback, Ben Hicks. The SMU transfer wasn’t great last week but we shall see what kind of jump he makes from week one to week two.

Quite a lot of unknowns in week two! So let’s get down to the picks shall we and figure out who is making up ground this week and who is trying to stay unbeaten...

Gray Hardison-Red Cup Rebellion

Red Cup Panel Predictions

Bob Lynch — Arkansas 15, Ole Miss 10

Y’all saw what happened last week, right? Just assume it’ll happen again.

One Man To Beat — Ole Miss 27, Arkansas 20

Rich Rodriguez figures some stuff out on offense and Arkansas threatens late but somehow the Hog magic from recent memory can’t come through in the clutch. Ben Hicks throws a late pick to seal up the Rebs’ first win in 2019.

whiskeywednesday — Arkansas 19, Ole Miss 10

Ole Miss scores a defensive touchdown and kicks a field goal, but gives up a safety.

TwoYardsandaCloudofEnricky — Arkansas 24, Ole Miss 17

Offense looks marginally more competent, but it’s not enough.

Ben Woodhouse — Ole Miss 23, Arkansas 21

Arkansas snatches defeat from the jaws of victory by committing four turnovers, holding Ole Miss to less than 300 total yards, and losing in brutal fashion.

Gray Hardison — Ole Miss 22, Arkansas 18

The Rebels superglue enough pieces together on the offensive line to hold up for a few scoring drives, while the defense shows again it can handle average to bad quarterbacks. As you watch this game, you will wish you were mostly focusing on LSU/Texas.

Zach Berry — Ole Miss 24, Arkansas 20

I have legitimate concerns about the offensive line, but I expect Rich Rodriguez to party like it’s 2006 and to get weird with the offensive play calling. In a good way. And on the other side, Mike MacIntyre’s defense will do just enough to hold Chad Morris’ offense down.

Juco All-American — Arkansas 24, Ole Miss 13

The Arkansas defense should be at least AS good as Memphis. Also, the Tigers showed teams that we can’t stop the run when they utilize two tight ends.

Michael Borkey — Ole Miss 14, Arkansas 10

The Hogs somehow looked worse than Ole Miss last Saturday. Someone supposedly has to win this game and I’ll take the better defense.

Christoph Ludwig — Ole Miss 14, Arkansas 10

A Razorback offense that struggled against FCS Portland State last week will do the same against an improved Rebel defense, and Rich Rod finds a way to get just enough points on the board.

Nicholas Carr — Arkansas 27, Ole Miss 17

The offensive line struggles will be too much to overcome in a week

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How to watch:

Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, Miss.
When: 6:30 p.m. CST
TV: SEC Network
Online streaming: WatchESPN