No. 8 Texas A&M heads home after a disappointing loss last week, and it’ll take on an Ole Miss team that’s battered and licking its wounds. Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly’s college career is over because of a knee injury, which is brutal news for the Rebels, who were already decimated by injuries.
Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know
Can the Aggies rebound at home against the wounded Rebels?
Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Ole Miss has never been able to establish the running game with any consistency, and were wholly dependent on Kelly to make things happen. Even if Jason Pellerin — or, as it appears, five-star freshman Shea Patterson, should Hugh Freeze choose to burn his redshirt — plays well, the Rebels won't be the same. And at 4-5 on the season, there's just not much left for them to play for.
Texas A&M, conversely, has plenty left to play for. It’s still in contention for a New Year’s Six bowl game, but its Playoff shot is probably gone after losing to Mississippi State. Kevin Sumlin’s team would need some help from the teams ahead of it to get back in the conversation — but hey, stranger things have happened, I suppose.
How to watch, stream, and listen
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Spread: Texas A&M is favored by 7.5 points.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Red Cup Rebellion for Ole Miss fans and Good Bull Hunting for Texas A&M fans.
Three big things to know
1. It will be interesting to see what Ole Miss looks like on offense without Kelly. The Rebels were almost entirely dependent on the mercurial quarterback for their offensive output, so with him sidelined for the rest of the year it’s hard to tell where the points are going to come from.
2. Texas A&M will play out the year with a backup quarterback as well, as Trevor Knight is on the shelf with a shoulder injury. Jake Hubenak does have some experience, however, and generally the A&M offense has more to work with than the Ole Miss offense does.
3. A&M’s surprise stay in the Playoff rankings lasted only one week before it lost a shocker to Mississippi State. The Aggies are still in the top 10, but we’ll see how they react now that the Playoff is no longer right in front of them.
See More:
