Mississippi Rebels

Picks

The Rebels will want to get this game won, protect the star players, and get out of town. They'll also want to hold their best plays with a new coaching staff in anticipation of a game with Georgia.

That's why I'm expecting plenty of running with Kewan Lacy and company once they get a strong lead. Additionally, Tulane's passing game is going to struggle to find plays and points which is why the run game will be its focus. 

The increased focus on running the ball for both teams, especially for the Rebels as they look to simply get the job done and get out, will help lead this one under a total they didn't reach in the first meeting. 

Jon Sumrall said his team "better play a lot different than we played last time". But unless he's got a bunch of talent added over the next two weeks, it won't really matter.

Tulane's defense simply can't hang with teams in the trenches, and the Rebels have an explosive offense that ranks first in quality drive rate, seventh in EPA/dropback, and 39th in points per quality drive.

The Rebels have an elite pass defense and will give Tulane fits with their pass rush. Without the ability to put together consistent scoring drives, this game will get away from the Green Wave once again in an extremely hostile environment.