LSU Vs. Ole Miss Preview: Any Chance of an Upset?

LSU Tigers vs. Mississippi Rebels, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

Sure, there have been plenty of upsets this season -- hey there, Boise State -- but certainly LSU doesn't have anything to worry about from the absolutely terrible Ole Miss Rebels. After all, some teams are just so clearly inferior to their opponents -- pardon me, Oklahoma? -- that the higher-ranked opponent doesn't even need to bother to show up.

So when the Bayou Bengals meet the Black Bears in Oxford on Saturday -- excuse me, Wisconsin -- there's no need to worry. Only one team has very much to lose in this game -- how you doing, Oklahoma State? -- and the other team has all but quit playing, so we all know how this one is going to turn out.

Kidding aside, it's hard to see Ole Miss pulling this upset. Not just because the Rebels seem to be clearly quitting on the season after the Louisiana Tech loss -- though there's that -- but also because Ole Miss wasn't very good before that. The Rebels were ranked 10th or worse in the SEC in each state cataloged on the NCAA's website, except coming in fourth in net punting and being first in punt returns. LSU can probably win the game if they don't punt, which shouldn't be a problem given the Rebels' porous defense.

The last-place rushing defense is a particular problem. LSU does and should love to run the ball when it can, and there's no reason to think that Mississippi will really be able to slow down the Tigers' ground attack. What's left of the Rebels' offense is likely to be easily handled by the Bayou Bengals' defense, to the point where you have to wonder whether Ole Miss has a chance to break 100 yards.

Sure, there's always a chance that Mississippi could pull off an upset in this one. But that chance is really not worth considering.

LSU 54, Ole Miss 3