Mississippi @ Texas A&M preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 24, 2015 ) Texas A&M 3, Mississippi 23

Texas A&M was the most controversial member of the top four when the first College Football Playoff rankings were released last week, and the Aggies effectively dismissed themselves from the debate with a crushing loss four days later. Now down to No. 8, Texas A&M will attempt to bounce back against another team that's trying to find a new quarterback in visiting Ole Miss.

The Aggies needed to prove they belonged among the nation's elite last week and instead fell into a 28-7 hole at sub-.500 Mississippi State and could not dig all the way out in a 35-28 setback, during which quarterback Trevor Knight was lost with a shoulder injury. "Trevor will still be part of this program," Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, whose team is ranked 11th in the USA Today Coaches poll, told reporters. "Opportunity for him maybe toward end of year, but with three games left in short period of time, best chance for him to play will be a bowl game. Still part of leadership team. Still working with our guys." Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly won't even have a possible bowl game to look forward to and will undergo surgery to repair a torn ACL and meniscus suffered during a win over Georgia Southern last week. Kelly, who leads the SEC in passing yards (2,758) and is tied for the lead in passing touchdowns (19), will cede his starting spot to freshman Jason Pellerin.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network. LINE: Off

ABOUT OLE MISS (4-5, 1-4 SEC): Pellerin went 1-of-5 for 19 yards and an interception in relief of Kelly last week. "I think that with a week of practice it can be expanded from what you saw the other night, but will it be what Chad (Kelly) has done? Probably not," Rebels coach Hugh Freeze told reporters. "Regardless of who goes at quarterback whether it is him, (Markell) Pack, whoever, Jeremy Liggins, Shea Patterson, it would be crazy for us to expect to carry the whole playbook into this game. We need to pick the things we really like and the things he feels good about, (Jason) Pellerin, and his preparation and go with those." Pellerin will try to lean on running back Akeem Judd, who ran for a career-high 139 yards last week.

ABOUT TEXAS A&M (7-2, 4-2): Knight sparked the Aggies offense as much with his legs (10 rushing TDs) as with his arm (13 passing TDs), and Jake Hubenak will be asked to run a similar offense. "Jake's not as fast but is effective," Sumlin told reporters. "Will probably change some of the things we do a little bit. Although many are designed runs, some of them weren't. Trevor had the ability to take the ball down and do some things. QB read game isn't the same for everybody." Hubenak went 11-of-17 for 222 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in relief last week but totaled just two yards on seven carries.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Texas A&M WR/PR Christian Kirk returned a punt for a TD in each of the last two games.

2. Ole Miss DE Fadol Brown recorded 14 tackles last week, three more than his previous total during an injury-plagued senior season.

3. The Rebels took the last two meetings, including a 23-3 win at home last season.

PREDICTION: Texas A&M 28, Ole Miss 24