Game of the Week: No. 3 Auburn vs. No. 4 Ole Miss
As week 9 is quickly approaching, college football fans can look forward to a grudge match this Saturday night between No. 3 Auburn and No. 4 Ole Miss.
After a crushing loss to LSU in Death Valley, the Ole Miss Rebels will look to return to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with a much-needed home-field advantage in what could be the most important game of the regular season for both teams.
This is the first time Oxford, Mississippi has hosted a match-up between two Top-10 ranked teams.
The Auburn Tigers, looking for their second consecutive win, hope to continue their success on the offensive side of the ball against an outstanding Ole Miss defense.
Ole Miss has found great success on the defensive side of the ball giving up a lowly 10.5 points per game on average. They are preparing for what could be their toughest test thus far in a Tiger offense that has scored at least 20 points in each of their 7 games and an average of 39.3 points per game.
Auburn’s offensive success can be accredited to senior quarterback Nick Marshall and senior running back Cameron Artis-Payne, who have combined to establish an effective and consistent run game for the Tigers.
The Ole Miss offense also has been nothing shy of impressive this season recording an average of 31.9 points per game. Although their run game is not quite as impressive as Auburn’s, senior quarterback Bo Wallace has found great success with all of his receivers in the air.
The most important headline surrounding this game is the hope for a playoff birth for both teams. Whoever loses will get the boot from the top four seeds in the AP poll and would most likely lose the chance to play in the newly implemented College Football Playoff system.
Players to Watch:
Auburn: RB Cameron Artis-Payne-- Payne has had a consistent season thus far. This week will prove to be a tough test for Artis-Payne going up against a fantastic defense in Ole Miss. If he can rush for over 100 yards and score a touchdown or two, Auburn will be in a good position to win on the road.
Ole Miss: QB Bo Wallace-- Wallace’s numbers speak for themselves this year. It all depends which QB Ole Miss fans will see this weekend. Wallace has been very inconsistent this year. If Bo can pick apart the Tigers secondary, Ole Miss will be able to ride their strong defense and home field advantage to a win and keep themselves in the top 4 for another week.
Prediction: Ole Miss 21 Auburn 13
Photo Credit: (AP Photo/The Daily Mississippian, Payton Teffner)
Mike D’Avella is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email mfd156@psu.edu
