Ole Miss
Ole Miss lost its final two games of the regular season. Reuters

On Monday afternoon, Ole Miss and Georgia Tech will meet in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl. Both teams enter the contest with a record of 7-5, and both are coming off overtime losses.

The two schools had very similar seasons. The Rebels and Yellow Jackets were up and down in 2013, and their schedules look eerily similar. Ole Miss won their first three games, including a victory at Texas. Once they got into SEC play, they began to struggle, going 3-5 in the conference. Georgia Tech also won three straight to start the year, which included a victory over ACC runner-up Duke. They followed their winning streak with three straight losses, and ended the regular season with a double-overtime loss to rival Georgia.

The Rebels enter the game as slight favorites. They get the edge after having played in the toughest conference in the nation. Ole Miss may have lost most of their games in the SEC, but only one of their defeats came against an unranked opponent. They were shut out by then-No.1 Alabama, but they fell short to Auburn and Texas A&M by just one score.

Rebels quarterback Bo Wallace struggled down the stretch. Six of his nine interceptions came in the final four games of the season. His last two games, which were both losses, were two of his worst in 2013. He’ll be going up against the No.85-ranked pass defense in college football

While Georgia Tech’s key to success may be stopping the Ole Miss passing game, the Rebels will have to worry about stopping the Yellow Jackets ground attack. Only three teams in the FBS average more rushing yards per game than Georgia Tech.

David Sims leads a group that rushes for more than 311 yards per contest. He’s picked up 846 yards and 11 touchdowns on just 151 carries. That doesn’t bode well for the Rebels, who were not good against the run in the SEC.

Player To Watch: Bo Wallace

Time: 3:15 p.m. Monday

Place: LP Field

TV: ESPN

Online Stream: WatchESPN

Betting Odds: Mississippi by 3

Over/Under: 56

Prediction: Mississippi over Georgia Tech, 33-27

Football