FIELD RUSH PREVIEW: HISTORY ON THE LINE IN OXFORD

Gunnar Galloway - November 27, 2025 

When Ole Miss and Mississippi State meet this weekend for the 122nd Egg Bowl, the 98th time the Golden Egg Trophy will officially be on the line, it will be more than just another chapter in one of college football’s most heated rivalries. This year carries history, pressure, and postseason implications that could reshape the season for both programs… especially one. 

Ole Miss enters at 10-1, ranked inside the national top tier, and sits one win away from making the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history. A victory locks their place among college football’s elite. Meanwhile, Mississippi State stands at 5-6, needing a win for bowl eligibility, and nothing would thrill the Bulldogs more than stopping Ole Miss from reaching the Playoff doorstep. And, with even more pressure, eyes have yet to move away from Ole Miss head coach Lane Kriffin, and I honestly have no idea what is even going there.

Looking at the numbers, Ole Miss leads this series and has for a while, 66-46-6, and doesn't seem to be interested in cutting this lead down one bit, bringing in one of the strongest offenses in the nation to back it up. This all against a Mississippi defense which is not only inconsistent but gives up way too many yards on the ground. All roads look to be leading towards The Rebels on Friday.

Ole Miss could get scary, truly I think it’s a team who wants it more. A look back into the school's history makes that clear and when better to do it than a year where you’re already a top dog on everyone's rankings. A chance to prove yourselves doesn’t come too often but on a stage like this and given Mississippi State is.. Well… 5-6,, I expect everything to be on full display. Especially now given whatever the hell is going on with Lane, things could be all over the place. 

Winning now for the Rebels puts them on a much higher and real pedestal and questions start to become tricky, what does a legit team do if they lose their head coach? Where do they go from there? Does Lane even take the chance to leave this juggernaut before playoffs get rolling? The implications during and after this game are going to be generational. 

A writer by the name of Rick Cleveland put it best: “The coaches are mercenaries and the players are mercenaries, as well. Get used to it. Further, he says, ‘The days of college coaches and athletes caring for the school as much as the fans and alumni are over, gone forever.’ The more I think about it, the more I realize he is correct. But I don’t have to like it. And I don’t.”

Maybe Cleveland is right. Maybe loyalty is dead and college football is changing faster than any of us want to admit. But on Friday morning, with cold air in the stadium and thousands screaming their souls out, none of that will matter. What will matter is who wants it more, who plays with pride, and who walks off the field with the Egg. For 364 days, one side gets to smile and the other gets to suffer. And that’s why this game still means everything.

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