Mercer vs #22 Ole Miss Odds, and Picks (Sep 2)

• Mercer went 7-4 last season, ending the year ranked #21 in the FCS.
• Ole Miss lost the Texas Bowl to Texas Tech, finishing 8-5 on the season.
• These two teams last met on November 4, 1911, in a game Ole Miss won 34-0.

The college football season is rapidly approaching. Let’s preview the upcoming Mercer vs Ole Miss game.

How to Watch

• ESPN+

Preview

Mercer had a solid season in the FCS last year. They opened ranked #23, and remained in the top-25 rankings from start to finish, ultimately settling on the #21 spot. They rose as high as #11 after starting 6-1, but then lost 3 of their last 4 games. A dramatic 50-44 double overtime loss against Samford ultimately ended the season for the Bears. They’ll have a change at QB this year, with Fred Payton having graduated.

Ole Miss had and up-and-down season last year. After rising from unranked to #8 in the country in 2021, the Rebels entered 2022 ranked #21, despite some key changes. They started the season similarly to the previous year, going 7-0 and ranking as high as #7. From there, Ole Miss went on to lose 5 of the next 6, falling completely out of the rankings. It will be interesting to see which Ole Miss team we see this season.

Prediction

It’s not difficult to pick the winner in these FBS vs FCS matchups. While the FCS team pulls of the upset from time to time, it’s usually done by one of the top ranked teams. Despite Mercer’s top-25 finish last season, they are still far from the cream of the crop in the FCS, and will also have a new QB this season. I just don’t see a path to them competing with an top-half SEC team like Ole Miss. I’d take the Rebels by 40.

NCAAF Picks:

• Ole Miss 48, Mercer 6 (MISS -39.5)