Missouri (1-0) at Ole Miss (1-0) 6:00 PM
Why to Watch: Which Missouri team will show up? Will it be the one that was on its way to a blowout over Illinois, or the one that almost choked it away in the 40-34 win? This is one of the most talented teams in the Big 12 North, and it needs to get as many confidence-boosting wins before facing Nebraska in early October. A loss to the Rebels wouldn't be a total disaster, but for a team that's as flaky as they come, it could set the wheels in motion for a disappointing year. Ole Miss hung on to pull out a tough 23-21 win over Memphis. A home win over the Tigers would be the biggest in the Ed Orgeron era and would be a huge boost going into the SEC season with Vanderbilt, Florida and Georgia coming up over the following three weeks. Consider this a bowl game for the Rebels.
Why Missouri Might Win: The Ole Miss offense appears to be better than last year, but it's still not going to hang up 45 points on the board. This isn't an Illinois-like offense with a slew of young talent to come up with a big comeback; if Mizzou gets up early, it'll stay there. As Memphis tried to come back on the Rebels last week, QB Martin Hankins threw the ball at will. Tiger QB Chase Daniel should be able to do the same if ...
Why Ole Miss Might Win: ... his offensive line doesn't get him killed. The Tigers couldn't run the ball on the Illini thanks to a lousy day from the offensive line, while Daniel was sacked twice and under pressure all game long. Ole Miss might not have the most disciplined, stout defense, but it can get into the backfield and it'll be disruptive. Mizzou has problems when it becomes one dimensional. Take away the ground game, and things become interesting.
Who to Watch: The big question all off-season for Ole Miss was whether or not the passing game could be any better. Brent Schaeffer struggled way too much last year, and senior Seth Adams had the spotlight squarely on him going into this season. While he wasn't out of this world, he completed 19 of 30 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown against Memphis, doing enough to force teams to worry about more than just RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Against Missouri, he won't have to match Daniel yard for yard, but he'll have to be efficient and he can't make mistakes.
What Will Happen: Missouri will have to withstand an early surge of emotion as the Rebel defense will come out roaring. After about 20 minutes, the Tigers will hit on a big pass play to change the momentum, and then will get a crushing score that Ole Miss won't be able to answer.
CFN Prediction: Missouri 27 ... Ole Miss 17
