Ole Miss Football: 5 Reasons Rebels will win 2018 Egg Bowl vs Mississippi State

3. Ole Miss can afford to be a bit reckless

For the second year in this rivalry contest, Mississippi State has a lot more on the line than Ole Miss. The bowl ban has put a significant cap on the ceiling of this 2018 Rebels’ squad. Some tough losses to Alabama and LSU cooled their intensity, but they’ve not tired in their attempts to play spoiler to all comers this season.

Since losing to LSU in late September, Ole Miss has yet to lose a game by more than two scores, falling to South Carolina by four points and Vanderbilt by three points. Even their more distant losses came to Auburn and Texas A&M by 15 points and 14 points, respectively.

Even when they’re playing at a level less productive than they’re capable of, Ole Miss has stayed in ball games with the SEC’s middle class. Mississippi State is more squarely in that mix than they’d like to admit, making Thursday’s Egg Bowl a much more evenly matched affair than many anticipate.

Although it measures up as a fair fight, Ole Miss will be willing to empty their entire bag of tricks and do whatever it takes to win. Mississippi State is looking for a better bowl trip at this point. Style points don’t matter to the Bulldogs, but the Rebels will be more than happy to pour it on.