Bengal Tiger Staff Predictions: LSU vs. Ole Miss

LSU hosts Ole Miss at 6:30 p.m. CT in Tiger Stadium on ABC in one of the biggest games in the SEC this year. Brian Kelly and Lane Kiffin have split their first two meetings, with the home side winning the past two years, but this year the two sides come in both in desperate need of a conference win before heading into the back half of their schedules.

It’s Tiger Stadium’s 100th Anniversary and Death Valley promises to be packed and as vibrant as ever, but LSU has to get the job done on the field. In recent weeks, we have expanded our coverage team, adding Jerit Roser and Julie Boudwin, two veteran reporters to the Bengal Tiger and we will be including their picks in our predictions as well moving forward. Let’s get to it.

Julie Boudwin

The Magnolia Bowl Trophy will be up for grabs Saturday night in what promises to be a raucous, electric atmosphere at Tiger Stadium. But more importantly, both LSU and Ole Miss are fighting to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. While neither team is at full strength halfway through the season, that won’t matter in this showdown. I’m expecting a high-scoring affair, with the outcome likely hinging on which defense or special teams unit can make a game-changing play. It’s a must-win for both sides, but in a packed Death Valley, celebrating 100 years of Tiger Stadium, I’m not betting against LSU on a Saturday night.

Prediction: LSU 38, Ole Miss 34

Billy Embody

In front of a raucous home crowd in Death Valley, I’ve got LSU coming away with the win. The Tigers’ passing game, spearheaded by Garrett Nussmeier, will be the difference-maker, exploiting weaknesses in the Ole Miss secondary. Ole Miss will keep the game close with a balanced offensive attack, but the chinks in the armor were exposed a bit in the loss to Kentucky. Tiger Stadium has a tendency to provide the extra spark LSU needs to win. With Ole Miss’ defense ranking among the best in the country at limiting rushing yards and red zone conversions, LSU will rely on explosive plays through the air, offsetting the Rebels’ tough run defense. LSU’s ability to capitalize on home-field advantage and key defensive stops will push them to a hard-fought victory.

Prediction: LSU 31, Ole Miss 27

Jerit Roser

Well, well, well, LSU and Ole Miss meet again. The rivals’ recent track record would suggest heavy doses of both offense and borderline-chaos. And, even with some receiver injuries, the Tigers have the firepower to more than hold their own with quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and his available weapons playing at a high level and the emergence of freshman running back Caden Durham providing some encouraging balance. Both teams look improved defensively from last year’s wild shootout in Oxford, Miss., that has loomed so large in our perspective on the 2023 LSU season. And while I expect the offenses to still headline the show, I do think Blake Baker’s defense and the Tiger Stadium crowd both have enough big moments in them to scratch out a pivotal victory in the 2024 playoff picture.

Prediction: LSU 34, Ole Miss 28. 

Matthew Brune

Having spent the past week and a half dissecting this game and playing out all of the scenarios in my head, I’m just ready to watch some football. Both teams have had their weaknesses exposed. Both have high-level talent. Both also have injury concerns. For me, this comes down to my trust in Garrett Nussmeier and the potential limitations of Ole Miss’ offense to be consistent and explosive with a limited Tre Harris. I’m operating under the assumption Harris is at best 75% if he plays and that’s a massive swing in this game. We already know the Rebels’ offensive line is banged up and coming off of back to back games struggling. Fatigue in general is a real question for the Rebels. LSU is more fresh. LSU has the better quarterback and offensive line. LSU is more disciplined. LSU is playing in Death Valley. Give me the Tigers.

Prediction: LSU 30, Ole Miss 28

Shea Dixon

I circled this as a loss ahead of the season. Ole Miss used the NIL era to load up in the portal and set the 2024 roster up as one of the best in college football. Meanwhile, LSU is replacing a Heisman winner at QB, two first round picks at WR, operating with two new coordinators and an entirely new defensive staff and – once the season began – have run into one injury after the next. It makes perfect sense to pick the Rebels to win this year’s matchup. Then I look back at the wild weekend of college football a week ago and remind myself that anything can happen. Expect the unexpected. It is Ole Miss vs LSU, after all. On Friday, as I mulled over my final score prediction, I did so at the LSU Alumni event listening to Brad Davis tell one of the most memorable stories in LSU history. Many moons ago, there was a missed field goal late in the game by the Rebels. Then there was an LSU equipment malfunction on the final drive. Charlie Mac told the unsuspecting Davis to get off the bench and in the game – in the final seconds. And thanks to LSU’s clock operator, an incomplete pass with 4 seconds kept one second on the clock. LSU quarterback Bert Jones hit Davis for the win on the next play. “Set your clock back four seconds” they would say for the next 50-plus years. So, I’ll reset my pick. I’ll ride with LSU on a night when the Tigers officially celebrate 100 Years of Tiger Stadium in front of a sold out Death Valley crowd.

Prediction: LSU 31, Ole Miss 30