Despite the drama-filled noise of the impending Coach Lane Kiffin decision to remain at Ole Miss or bolt for another job, it’s Egg Bowl week across the Magnolia State, and fans from both sides of the aisle appear to be feeling all the emotions this week typically brings. For the Ole Miss faithful, from the stress of needing one more win to secure a bid to the College Football Playoff and possibly the SEC Championship game, and dealing with the drama king himself, the focus has been taken away from the momentous season to the drama of a football coach. On the Mississippi State sideline, you’ll find a Bulldogs team that not only looks to play spoiler but a team hungry to earn a 6th win that would earn them a trip back to the postseason for the first time under Coach Jeff Lebby. 

Records be damned when these two meet during Thanksgiving weekend, as the unexpected is the norm, and the hatred between them is so thick that it creates an almost mystical aura around the rivalry. 

This year means something different for each, but for the first time in the history of the rivalry a win for Ole Miss would send the state of Mississippi to the College Football Playoffs as the Rebels would secure an automatic bid, and the likelihood of hosting a first-round matchup at Vaught Hemingway Stadium goes up to an almost gurantee no matter what Coach Kiffin decides to do. 

On the other sideline for Mississippi State, you have Coach Lebby and the Bulldogs looking to put a bow on an improved season where the Bulldogs managed to win five games and would add a postseason clinching sixth win that would give Mississippi State an added month-long practice to prepare to take the next step next fall during the 2026 season. All the mometum starts on Friday, with Ole Miss likely facing a coaching search. A win in the Egg Bowl would also give Mississippi State stability in in-state recruiting, a pillar for long-term success at either school. Mississippi State has been so close all season long; they were able to finish against Arizona State and Arkansas. Will they have enough in the tank to take down the mighty Ole Miss Rebels? Who knows, but the Bulldogs faithful can expect Coach Lebby and the boys to at least put up a fight and take Ole Miss to the wire. 

As far as Ole Miss goes, the drama of Coach Kiffin leaving or staying in Oxford has hung over the program like an impending rain storm that just sucks the life out of a room. Ole Miss is on the verge of going 11-1 in the regular season and is not only playing for a spot in the College Football Playoff, but with a little bit of help, could be playing in the SEC Championship game next Saturday in Atlanta. Ole Miss has been one of the funest teams in college football, and they travel to Starkville looking to overcome the outside noise and focus on returning the Golden Egg to Oxford while controlling what they can. On paper, the Rebels are the better team, but in games like this, talent needs to lock in, focus on what they can control, hold each other accountable, and stay focused on what’s right there in front of them. 

Ole Miss and Mississippi State will get underway on Friday morning inside Davis Wade Stadium with a kick-off slated for 11 a.m. 

Photo Credits- Ole Miss and Mississippi State Football accounts on X