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Ole Miss vs. Duke: TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Prediction & Betting Lines

Originally posted on College Football News
By Pete Fiutak | Last updated Jan 2, 2025 2:35 AM ET

All of a sudden, the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl will get a bigger stage - and obviously not because of anything remotely positive.

As is, this was becoming one of the more interesting social media games of the bowl season thanks Lane Kiffin, the Ole Miss head coach who seems to think the entire College Football Playoff should be made up of SEC teams.

Alabama and South Carolina didn’t help his cause, but a dominant win would lead to one blast of a time on various platforms. But first the Rebels have to get by a dangerous Duke team with a tough defense.

Let’s just say the ACC has struggled a wee bit this bowl season - it’s been AWFUL. But Duke is an entertaining team under first year head man Manny Diaz, this is just the 17th bowl game in program history, and the team is on a run of five straight bowl wins since 2014.

The biggest story, though, is still the horrific incident in New Orleans and ongoing investigation. Forgive involving that in any way with a football game - now the Gator goes from being the lone bowl on Thursday to the primetime game after the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame, moved to Thursday afternoon.

Ole Miss vs Duke: How to Watch the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, Game Preview

Date: Thursday, January 2, 2025
Game Time: 8:00 pm ET
How To Watch: ESPN
Venue: EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL
Teams: Ole Miss (9-3), Duke (9-3)
Fiu Bluesky | CFN Bluesky | CFN X | CFN FB
- Bowl Schedule, Scoreboard, Predictions

Why Duke Will Win

Defense, defense, defense.

This might not be the most dynamic Duke team offensively, but it led the ACC in third down defense, makes plenty of special teams plays, and is among the best in America at generating sacks and tackles for loss.

This is a fast-paced Ole Miss team, but anything that throws it off its rhythm just a little bit should work.

This is a carefully measured team that’s used to having its defense on the field for around 33 minutes per outing, but that’s not happening in this.

Ole Miss might have the ball for 27ish minutes. Duke has GOT to control the pace throughout, and it has to generate at least two takeaways.

Ole Miss doesn’t give it up often, but there were three turnovers in the loss to Florida, two in the loss to LSU, and Duke forced multiple takeaways eight times. However …

Why Ole Miss Will Win

Duke can’t keep up with any sort of pace.

Starting quarterback Maalik Murphy is off to Oregon State, and that means Henry Belin IV is under center. He has a little bit of experience, but good luck dealing with the Ole Miss pass rush.

Duke might be among the top three teams in sacks and tackles for loss, but the Rebels are No. 1 in both categories. Combine that with an offense that finished second in the nation - and gets just about everyone back for this, and there’s a problem.

Duke faced two strong offenses this season. It got hit by 53 points in a loss to Miami, and was helped by a ton of takeaways in the loss to SMU.

Ole Miss has put up 425 yards or more of total offense eight times. Duke is 0-3 when allowing more than 410, 9-0 when allowing fewer. That’s not to say Duke can’t pitch a defensive gem, but …

Ole Miss vs Duke: Who Will Win?

Win if you’re Duke, and it’ll be the first ten-win season for Duke since 2013 and just the second in 103 years of football.

Ole Miss roasted Penn State in last year’s Peach, and it’s going for its tenth bowl win in the last 13 tries since 2000. Win, and Kiffin will have the winningest two-year run in school history, beating John Vaught’s 1959-1960 seasons.

The ACC will continue to have problems, Kiffin’s team will play extra amped up - basically, his team’s about to do the walking for all its coach’s talking - and the SEC team will play too fast and be too effective.