Ole Miss Football vs. Washington State: Preview and Predictions

Originally posted on Ole Miss Rebels on SI | By Zack Nagy | Last updated Oct 9, 2025 4:36 PM ET

No. 4 Ole Miss (5-0, 3-0 SEC) will suit up in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday for an early kickoff against the Washington State Cougars with an opportunity to remain unbeaten.

After five consecutive wins to open the 2025 season, Lane Kiffin and Co. navigated an open date in Week 6 with the program now set return to action.

The Rebels are clicking on all cylinders out the gate this year, but defensive adjustments are what have intrigued Kiffin across the first five weeks after a sluggish performance against Arkansas in Week 3.

"After that Arkansas game they had a hard meeting with coach [Pete] Golding and the players and for a long time on Sunday night," Kiffin said. "We played better pass defense. I also think Arkansas’s really good on offense. They’d done that to a lot of people.

"I kind of look at the whole thing and not just the stat rankings. We look at the analytics and the metrics. There’s a really good one, I think it’s FPI, where they put the offense, defense, special teams and rank the teams. That really shows.

"It doesn’t focus on records only; it really focuses on who you played in that and how you played and if it was late in the game and all those things in the analytics and the metrics. So, I look at that instead of just the rankings."

Now, heading into Week 7, Kiffin and Co. will once again eye complementary football in Oxford with an opportunity to reach 6-0 and take down Washington State.

The Game Information: Week 7 Edition

Matchup: Ole Miss Football vs. Washington State Cougars
Kickoff Time: 11:45 a.m. CT
Venue: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium - Oxford (Miss.)
TV Channel: SEC Network
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Radio Network
Ole Miss Record: 5-0 (3-0 SEC)
Washington State Record: 3-2

Odds, Spread and Total: Week 7 Edition

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Ole Miss: -32.5 (-105)
Washington State: +32.5 (-115)

Moneyline

Ole Miss: N/A
Washington State: N/A

Total

Over 59.5 (-105)
Under 59.5 (-115)

Kiffin and Co. enter Saturday's non-conference clash as 32.5-point favorites against the Cougars with an opportunity to continue the program's red-hot start.

The ESPN Football Power Index Prediction:

According to the ESPN FPI, Lane Kiffin and Co. enter the matchup with a 98.5 percent chance to walk out of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with a 6-0 record and another victory under their belts.

Kiffin and Co. will be over 30-point favorites with a near 100 percent chance of a win, according to the ESPN Football Power Index.

This article first appeared on Ole Miss Rebels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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