OXFORD – No. 14 Ole Miss didn’t reach its preseason College Football Playoff goals. But that doesn’t mean the Rebels don’t still see something to play for in Jacksonville next week.
Ole Miss (9-3, 5-3 SEC) faces off with Duke (9-3, 5-3 ACC) in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2. It’s not necessarily where the Rebels thought they would be spending their postseason – the preseason No. 6 team in the country looked poised for an at-large CFP berth following a monumental win over then-No. 3 Georgia before losing at unranked Florida in their next game, ending their dreams at a potential national title run.
But for seniors like defensive end Jared Ivey, there is still something worth playing for in early January – the possibility of another 10-win season and, perhaps more importantly, each other. Ivey and nearly all of his NFL Draft-eligible teammates – including projected first-round pick Walter Nolen, All-SEC defensive end Princely Umanmielen and star quarterback Jaxson Dart – are playing in the Gator Bowl.
“We feel like that’s the brand of this team, that we’re not going to quit on each other, and everybody on this team is winners and finishers,” Ivey said last week. “So, when you don’t get that end goal that you sought out in the beginning, it’s kind of like a ‘shoot for the moon and land for the stars’ scenario where we still have to go out there and claim our prize.”
In its entire history, Ole Miss has won 10 games in a season on nine occasions. With a win over the Blue Devils, the Rebels would have three 10-win seasons in the last four years and two in a row. Playing in bowl games of any stature is not something Ivey takes for granted. He did not play in any bowl game his first two years of college at Georgia Tech, as the Yellow Jackets went a combined 6-16 in 2020 and 2021.
“It was like that for me my first year here, coming from where I was at,” Ivey said. “We won like six games in total while I was there during my two years. So, being able to be on a contending team and to have that type of reward is overlooked by a lot of people. Only 50 or so teams get to play in a bowl game like this. So, yeah, it’s super exciting and … very ready to play.”
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
