The No. 7 Ole Miss Rebels have little room for error with already one loss in 2026, and an ugly loss at that (52-28 at the No. 21 Florida Gators).
Now, they visit the No. 19 Texas Longhorns. Texas is desperate, and the Rebels can't let Texas escape with a win on Saturday.
The Longhorns Are in A Tough Position
Just a couple of weeks ago, the Longhorns were ranked No. 1 and had two big wins. Texas defeated the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes 24-23 in Week 2 and also defeated the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers in Week 4 20-17.
There was a problem, though. The Longhorns needed 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to beat Ohio State and didn't look very sharp against the Vols. Those potential problems became real issues when Texas was stunned by an inspired Oklahoma Sooners team, losing 27-24 in a big upset.
That was a terrible loss to take, despite the rivalry, as the Sooners have looked awful in 2026, currently 3-3 and unranked. Texas hoped to return home and bounce back last week against Florida. That didn't happen.
Texas got off to a hot start, taking a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and even holding a 17-3 lead late in the first half. Then, Florida scored 24 unanswered points. Texas nearly came back after cutting the lead to three, but quarterback Arch Manning fumbled the next drive, and Florida won 27-24.
Texas is in a terrible position. It has taken two bad losses back-to-back, and another loss would likely eliminate it from College Football Playoff contention. The Longhorns have their backs against the wall and know that their next game is a must-win. In fact, their next six games are must-wins.
Can the Rebels Execute When They Need to Most?
Ole Miss has to play an aggressive, unafraid, and overpowering brand of football. Ole Miss needs to play like it is the better team.
The Rebels can't afford to play conservatively and let the Longhorns settle in. With the most expensive roster and a ton of talent, Texas can compete with any team in the nation at any time. But if Ole Miss can get Texas to play its ugly brand of football, then that doesn't matter.
Forcing turnovers and mistakes, and keeping Manning from getting comfortable, will be huge for the Rebels. Manning undeniably has a lot of talent, and he could be one of the best QBs in the nation.
But a common thread in his career has been making costly mistakes. Manning has been prone to shooting himself in the foot throughout his career. Ole Miss has to exploit this and can't let him get comfortable.
The Longhorns have enormous pressure heading into this next game, and much of it will fall on Manning's shoulders. Pete Golding and his Rebels have to recognize this.
Texas might not be any easier to face than they were a few weeks ago, but they're under more pressure, and it might show in their play. Getting conservative and allowing Texas to take a deep breath could be very costly for Ole Miss.
It's time for Ole Miss to execute when it needs to do so the most.
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