OXFORD — The new-look SEC is changing history in more ways than one.
The addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the conference starting in 2024 brings the SEC’s running total to 16 teams. The SEC will play an eight-game conference slate in 2024 and will either play eight or nine conference games in the years after that, depending on the subsequent vote.
Ole Miss’ 2024 schedule — along with the other 15 teams — was announced Wednesday night on the SEC Network, though the specific dates and times have yet to be determined.
The Rebels will host Oklahoma, Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi State and will play Arkansas, LSU, Florida and South Carolina on the road. Divisions have been eliminated, so some traditional, annual rivalry games are on the chopping block.
The 2024 slate will mark the first time since 1992 Ole Miss will not play Alabama and the first time since 1990 Auburn isn’t on the schedule. Ole Miss and Vanderbilt will not play either; the teams had played every year since 1970.
We’re still more than a year away from the new-look SEC officially getting underway on the field, and a lot could change in the transfer portal era. But it’s never too early to take a look at what those matchups might look like, and what the teams’ previous meetings have looked like.
Oklahoma
All-time record: Ole Miss leads 1-0
Play in 2023: No
The Rebels and Sooners have met just once previously, in the 1999 Independence Bowl. For perspective on how long ago that was — Oklahoma’s starting quarterback was now-Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel, and the Rebels were led by Romaro Miller. Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator is, of course, Jeff Lebby, who was previously the offensive coordinator under Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss. Oklahoma struggled a bit in its first year under first-year head coach Brent Venables, finishing with a losing record for the first time since 1998.
Georgia
Play in 2023: Yes
All-time record: Georgia leads 32-12-1
The Rebels play the two-time defending national champions in Athens, Georgia in 2023 before the Bulldogs travel to Oxford in 2024. Ole Miss and Georgia haven’t played since 2016, a 45-14 Rebels win that was later vacated. The Bulldogs had won the previous 10 matchups in the series. Head coach Kirby Smart has Georgia on a roll, winning 10 games or more in five of the last six seasons.
Kentucky
All-time record: Ole Miss leads 29-14-1
Play in 2023: No
The Rebels have won the last three in the series, including 2022’s three-point win in Oxford. Mark Stoops is entering his 11th season leading the Wildcats. Stoops has won 10 games twice; it has happened four times ever in the program’s entire history.
Mississippi State
All-time record: Ole Miss leads 64-47-6
Play in 2023: Yes
The Golden Egg is back in Starkville following Mississippi State’s 24-22 win at Vaught-Hemingway last November. Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett was named the Bulldogs’ head coach following the death of Mike Leach. Arnett led Mississippi State to a ReliaQuest Bowl victory, securing the program’s first nine-win season since 2017. Will Rogers is back for the Bulldogs in 2023, and the soon-to-be four-year starter has the chance to be the even rarer five-year starter with eligibility in 2024 due to the pandemic.
Arkansas
All-time record: Arkansas leads 37-29-1
Play in 2023: Yes
The Rebels and Razorbacks have squared off every year since 1981, long predating Arkansas’ move to the SEC from the Southwest Conference in 1992. Ole Miss won a 52-21 thriller in Oxford in 2021 before dropping last year’s matchup in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Sam Pittman is entering his fourth season at the helm; he is 19-17 overall. Starting quarterback K.J. Jefferson — a Sardis native — is in his last season of eligibility, meaning the Rebels will see him in 2023 but not in 2024.
LSU
All-time record: LSU leads 65-41-4
Play in 2023: Yes
Other than Mississippi State, LSU is the Rebels’ most-frequently played opponent. The teams have played annually since 1945 — the Rebels did not field a team in 1943 due to World War II. The teams have split the past two meetings, with each team winning at home. Quarterback Jayden Daniels has one year of eligibility remaining, meaning the Rebels won’t see him in 2024. Daniels threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 121 yards and three scores against Ole Miss in 2022.
Florida
All-time record: Tied 12-12-1
Play in 2023: No
The Gators and Rebels last played in 2020 in head coach Lane Kiffin’s first game coaching Ole Miss. The teams have played just six times since 1995, splitting the matchups. Head coach Billy Napier is entering his second season leading the Gators, having gone 6-7 in his first season. He will be in his third season come 2024 but loses the services of quarterback Anthony Richardson going forward. Richardson was the fourth pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.
South Carolina
All-time record: Ole Miss leads 9-8
Play in 2023: No
The last time Ole Miss and South Carolina met was in 2020 in Oxford, a game where Matt Corral threw for 513 yards. He had as many touchdowns (four) as incompletions. The Gamecocks surrendered 708 yards of offense to the Rebels that day. The 2020 season was the last as head coach for Will Muschamp, who was replaced by Shane Beamer. Beamer has led South Carolina to bowl games in each of his two seasons and, based on strong recruiting, the Gamecocks look poised to maintain success.
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