Add The New York Post on Google Ole Miss will get a tough test right out of the gate.
The No. 9 Rebels will take on No. 24 Louisville at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
Ole Miss, last seen falling just short of a trip to the national championship, is a 6.5-point favorite over the Cardinals on Sunday night.
Expectations are sky-high for Ole Miss under Pete Golding, but he’s got plenty of questions to answer in his first full year in charge after Lane Kiffin’s chaotic departure.
Was what we saw from Golding and the Rebels in College Football Playoff legit? Or was that just a team with a chip on its shoulder getting hot at the right time?
Ole Miss caught a break when it was announced that Trinidad Chambliss would be eligible to return, but the star quarterback isn’t the only game-breaker in this unit.
Running back Kewan Lacy gained 1,567 yards and scored 24 touchdowns in 2025, establishing himself as one of the best tailbacks in the country.
With Chambliss under center and Lacy riding shotgun, the Ole Miss offense should be a doozy, but the defense is more of a question mark.
Golding’s defense was superb in 2024, but they took a minor step back last year mostly because they couldn’t get enough pressure on the opposing quarterback.
Ole Miss attempted to rectify that in the portal, and we should get a good feel if the transfers will work against a patchwork offensive line for Louisville.
Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect Jeff Brohm’s O-line will need to develop chemistry quickly, because this team will live and die with the running game. Tailbacks Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown combined for 1,588 yards on the ground in 2025 and have the potential for more if their quarterback and offensive line do their bit.
The problem is that it’s anybody’s guess how Lincoln Kienholz will perform under center after serving as a backup for Ohio State.
Catch up on The Post’s college football betting predictions and previews for the 2026 season
This is a baptism by fire for an inexperienced quarterback, not just because of the defense he will face, but because of the opposing offense he will need to keep pace with.
The Louisville offense may grow into an efficient, reliable unit, but they figure to lack the explosiveness needed to keep up with the Rebels on Sunday.
The Play: Ole Miss -6.5 (-118, DraftKings)
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
