Two weeks ago, the Texas Longhorns were the No. 1 team in the country after two of the most impressive wins of the season. After embarrassing losses to the Oklahoma Sooners and the Florida Gators, the Longhorns have begun a precipitous fall that could deepen as the Ole Miss Rebels come to town.
Texas opens as a 3.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel, as they welcome the Rebels to Austin. When you account for the three-point home-field advantage, this game would be a toss-up on a neutral field. The Longhorns will have their work cut out for them as the Rebels come to town, with a 5-1 record and riding high off of a 52-17 blowout win over Missouri on the right arm of Heisman candidate Trinidad Chambliss, who threw for three touchdowns in their 31-3 win over the Tigers.
The Ole Miss offense has been a wagon this year, averaging 37.5 points and 6.52 yards per play through their first six games. That includes scoring over 40 points in their first two games and averaging 35.75 points per game in conference play. Chambliss spreads the ball around to his experienced receiving corps, his top four targets all average more than three receptions per game, keeping teams from focusing their attention on just one target. The production is not limited to their dynamic passing game, with a pair of running backs who each average more than 5 yards per carry through the first six games of the year.
Texas, with one of the most expensive rosters in the country, benefited from Alabama and Georgia losing on the same Saturday, keeping its slim chances of competing for the conference alive. However, it will take a marked improvement from the head coach and his chosen quarterback if they want to end the losing streak.