We are heading into Week 8 of the 2025 NCAA Football season. One game fans want to be sure not to miss is the nationally televised matchup between SEC rivals, Ole Miss and Georgia. This weekend’s game between the two storied teams marks the 46th meeting between the Rebels and the Bulldogs, dating back to October 12, 1940. Saturday’s game between the teams, both ranked inside the top 10, takes place at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia.
Ole Miss enters Week 8 of the NCAA season as the No. 5 team in the AP poll with a 6-0 record. The Rebels are tied for first in the SEC with that record, and they are a perfect 3-0 in the conference. Ole Miss is coming off a 24-21 win over Washington State in Week 7 action. Meanwhile, Georgia heads into this matchup as the No. 9 team in the AP rankings with a 5-1 record, which puts the team in fourth place in the SEC. The Bulldogs sport a 3-1 conference record, with their only loss coming to the Alabama Crimson Tide by a score of 24-21 in late September. Georgia is 2-0 since that setback, and is coming off a 20-10 win against Auburn.
Georgia holds the edge in this rivalry with a 33-11-1 record. However, Ole Miss won the last meeting between these two SEC powerhouses, beating Georgia 28-10 on November 9, 2024.
Despite being the No. 5 ranked team in the AP Poll and sporting a perfect record, the Ole Miss Rebels are the betting underdog on the road against the Georgia Bulldogs.
Head Coach Lane Kiffin needs to figure out the issues with his team’s offense on the road. That slow start nearly cost the Rebels last week as Washington State held a 7-3 lead over Ole Miss for most of the first half of their Week 7 game. Washington State was a 33.5 point underdog in that game and nearly pulled off an upset at home, losing 24-21. The offense needs to be on point from the opening of this game.
Another thing the Rebels must avoid is penalties and turnovers. The team is the third-most penalized team in the SEC with 73.8 yards per game, and they are 14th in the league in turnover margin at minus-4. The team has lost three fumbles and given away five interceptions. Ole Miss had 99 penalty yards against Washington State.
This game could set the tone for the rest of the year for Ole Miss, as they face the Oklahoma Sooners on the road in their next game. Oklahoma is currently ranked at No. 14 in the AP Poll.
The Ole Miss Rebels are one of the teams in the SEC that Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart has a losing record against. Smart has coached Georgia to a 1-2 record against Ole Miss, but that win came at home, when the Bulldogs downed the Rebels 52-17 in November 2023.
Like Ole Miss, Georgia has started games slowly this year, as seen in its most recent outing, when it fell behind Auburn 10-0 in the first half. Unlike Ole Miss, Georgia shut down the opposition offense in the second half and walked away with a 20-10 victory as a four-point favorite.
Georgia was lucky to open the year with a 3-0 record after struggling to a 44-41 win over Tennessee.
Georgia’s defense is not the dominant force it once was this season. The Bulldogs’ defense ranks seventh in the SEC in yards per game (307.2), 11th in passing yards per game (215.5), while being fairly strong against the run (91.7) yards per game. The defense must be better.
With one loss on its record, this week could decide if the Bulldogs will be in the running for an SEC title in 2025.
Ole Miss Vs. Georgia Betting Picks and Predictions
On paper this looks like a nerve-wracking game for fans of both teams, as neither Ole Miss nor Georgia have been dominant forces on he field this year. However, there is more to like with the Bulldogs playing at home on Saturday.
The betting pick is for the Georgia Bulldogs to beat the Ole Miss Rebels in Week 8 SEC action.
Trent is a professional sports journalist specializing in UFC, MMA, and esports coverage. His work has been featured in prestigious publications such as USA Today Sports, Vice, Bloody Elbow, Fight! Magazine, UFC 360, and Narratively. Trent's connection to MMA dates back to the early days when he and his friends pooled their resources to purchase the pay-per-view broadcast of UFC 1. He also has extensive experience in esports, particularly League of Legends and Counter Strike, dating back to the game's launch.