Ole Miss Football: Ranking 2020 opponents by toughness

Expectations were sky high for Jimbo Fisher when he took the job at Texas A&M, and through two seasons, he hasn’t met them. After a brutal 2019 slate that included dates with Clemson, Georgia, and Oklahoma State, along with the usual suspects in the SEC West, Aggie fans have yet to show palpable anger yet. This third year will be  the “prove it” season in College Station.

Eight returners are back on both the offense and defense. At quarterback, Kellen Mond is now a senior. He accounted for 28 total touchdowns a season ago, but many felt he didn’t show the kind of progression he should have in year two in the Jimbo Fisher offense. Mond’s completion percentage rose in 2019, but he saw drops in yardage, touchdown passes, yards per completion, and passer rating.

The pressure is immense for the Aggies this season. Pressure can break teams, but it can also make diamonds. It’ll be interesting to see which is the case in College Station.

Dan Mullen‘s Gators are one of the tougher teams to figure out. They’ve won double-digit games in the last two years, and they’ve gotten big bowl wins over Michigan and Virginia in each of those seasons.

However, recruiting is still lagging, and there’s a big question about whether they’ll rise to the elite talent level it takes to consistently hang with Georgia, Alabama, and the rest of the heavy hitter around the sport.

The timing of this game is important for Ole Miss. The first half of the year features the top four teams on this list. There’s a good chance that the Rebels are 2-4 when the Gators come to town. If Kiffin and company can hold down the fort against Florida, it could be the catalyst for a second-half resurgence. A burst of momentum here could turn a 2-4 start into an 8-4 or 7-5 finish. Combine that with a potential big bowl win, and the wheels could really be rolling in Oxford.