Early 2024 win total projection has Ole Miss sitting in a potentially historic spot

Last year after the spring drills were completed and Ole Miss was shifting into that couple-month stretch of summer downtime, with some workouts taking place, the prognostication for the 2023 season began. Same goes for this year, but the 2024 college football season is already producing a sunny outlook.

The projected win-loss totals for the Rebels ahead of last season were sitting around a modest 7-5 average record. Turns out that was a tad bearish and three games off of the eventual 10-2 regular season finish, leading to the first 11-win season after dismantling Penn State in the Peach Bowl.

With the roster retention and transfer portal success those same experts are taking notice of a College Football Playoffs appearance or bust approach by Ole Miss.

FanDuel released its projected win totals for the Southeastern Conference earlier this year and after computations predicted a barely over bowl-eligible 2023 that is not the case for this Fall. The Rebels win total is set at 9.5 and essentially giving the idea a double-digit win season for a third time in four seasons is within reach, a first in program history.

Though when looking at the odds it is also apparent FanDuel could see Ole Miss fall short of those nine-plus wins. The line is set at -144 for those who want to go with the Rebels hitting the 9.5 wins and for those who want to hedge their bets the sub-9.5 wins line is set at +118. In Vegas terms that is a pretty thin margin.

Ole Miss has a 2024 schedule that lends itself to the thought 10 wins are accessible, but there are also some potential landmines.

Once again starting with all four non-conference games, beginning with Furman on August 31, the Rebels are going to have no reprieve once SEC play begins on September 28 against Kentucky.

Last season there was a late-November game against ULM ahead of the Egg Bowl showdown against Mississippi State. This season that slot is replaced by a trip to Florida and a potential short week to prepare as the Egg Bowl has not been officially placed on Thanksgiving or the Saturday of the final weekend.

Between the final non-conference game against Georgia Southern and that road trip to Gainesville are six games that will determine if nine-plus wins happens and the CFP is reached. The first away game of the season, a trip to Wake Forest on September 14, could serve as toe-stubber, but the real first test is Ole Miss’ first SEC road game, at South Carolina on October 5.

That game in Columbia starts a back-to-back week of road games, concluding with LSU in Baton Rouge October 12 before the first of two bye weeks.

Speaking of the off weekends, that lends itself as a positive for Ole Miss’ schedule. Before games against SEC newcomer Oklahoma, Arkansas and Georgia is the first respite for the Rebels on October 19. Then after that three-game stretch the Rebels have November 16 off before the trip to The Swamp on November 23.

The 9.5 win total line is a fair assessment for Ole Miss, who is trending towards a preseason Top 10 ranking for the first time since 2009.

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