Midway through the 2015 season, both Oklahoma State and Mississippi had their eyes on the College Football Playoffs. They were thriving at certain points in the year. Ole Miss had gotten a big win over Alabama before dropping a game to Florida and then Memphis. Oklahoma State was undefeated for a majority of the year until the fell to Baylor. Now both teams will try and end disappointing finishes in the regular season on a high note with a win in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
If Ole Miss is going to beat the dynamic offense of Oklahoma State, they will be forced to do so without Robert Nkemdiche. The defensive star was dismissed from the team after an incident at an Atlanta hotel that saw him fall off the balcony. The loss of Nkemdiche is big for Mississippi. He has 29 tackles on the season including seven for a loss and three sacks. He is being considered a top-ten draft pick in the NFL while finishing on the second-team All-American list.
This is Ole Miss's second straight year in a New Year's bowl game. The team got embarrassed last year in a 42-3 loss to TCU, but this is a different Rebels team. Quarterback Chad Kelly has done everything and more for Ole Miss as he could easily lead the Rebels if this game turns into a shootout. He will rely heavily on receiver Laquon Treadwell who picked up a majority of Kelly's 3,740 yards he threw this season.
Oklahoma State will have no issues matching the offense of Ole Miss. They have their own star receiver in James Washington while quarterback Mason Rudolph is a developing quarterback. The issue for the Cowboys is the health at the position. Rudolph has been dealing with a foot injury. He missed the season finale against the Sooners as JW Walsh took over. He struggled in the game, but could get the start against Ole Miss if necessary. After winning their first 10 games, the Cowboys are aiming for a bounce back after two-straight losses.
All signs point to a shootout in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Mississippi and Oklahoma State come into the bowl game with two of the highest-scoring offenses in college football. Ole Miss averages 40.3 points per game while the Cowboys have put up 41.2 yards per game. They match up well on both sides of the ball which could make this game an interesting one on New Year's Day.
Watch Mississippi vs. Oklahoma State live stream, click here.
