No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 13 Missouri meet on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. ET in Oxford, Mississippi, in a ranked Week 7 game that should tell us plenty about both teams. Ole Miss is a 6-point favorite, but Missouri arrives with enough form to make this one feel like more than a simple home look for the Rebels.
Ole Miss comes in at 4-1 after putting up 52 points against Vanderbilt in Week 6, while Missouri is 5-1 after its 27-6 win over Texas A&M. The matchup at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium gives both sides a chance to strengthen their case in the national picture, and the numbers suggest a game with real scoring potential, with the total set at 59.5.
Chambliss has given Ole Miss a clear edge
The most important development for Ole Miss has been the play of Trinidad Chambliss. Against Vanderbilt on Oct. 10, he threw for 213 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score, continuing a run that has made him central to this offense.
Chambliss has also shown he can carry the attack in bigger tests. He threw for 363 yards against LSU on Sept. 19, then followed that with 298 yards and one touchdown in the 52-28 loss at Florida on Sept. 26. Earlier in the season, he had 222 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-24 win over LSU, and over five games he has produced 1,435 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and just 1 interception.
That kind of output matters because Ole Miss has not been leaning on one type of scoring. The Rebels have reached 28.0 points per game, and the blend of quarterback production and skill talent has been enough to keep them in the top 10 despite the loss at Florida.
Missouri has the weapons to keep this competitive
Missouri, though, has its own argument. The Tigers are 5-1 and showed their best side in the 27-6 win over Texas A&M, when Jamal Roberts ran for a career-high 222 yards and two touchdowns. That was the sort of performance that can travel, especially in a game where controlling the line of scrimmage could become a deciding factor.
Missouri's defense has also been part of the story. The Tigers are allowing 16.7 points per game, and that gives them a chance to make this a tighter contest than the betting line suggests. Their only loss so far came at Mississippi State on Sept. 26, a 31-24 defeat that at least showed they can stay in a game against quality opposition.
On the other side, Ole Miss has shown it can put teams away quickly. The Rebels beat Vanderbilt 52-17 on Oct. 10, and with Kewan Lacy back from a shoulder injury, the offense looks deeper than it did earlier in the month.
Why this one feels bigger than a regular Week 7 game
What makes Missouri vs Ole Miss so compelling is the balance between proven production and unanswered questions. Ole Miss has the more explosive passing game right now, but Missouri's record and defensive numbers suggest it will not simply roll over in Oxford.
Deuce Alexander has also been part of the wider Ole Miss discussion. He had 159 yards on five catches against Louisville on Sept. 6, one of several signs that this group has enough playmakers to stretch a defense. If Missouri cannot limit those explosive touches, the Tigers will be forced into a chase.
So while Ole Miss enters as the favorite, this is not a matchup that should be treated as routine. It is a ranked meeting between two teams with clear strengths, and the outcome could shape how each side is viewed heading into the next stretch of the season.
