# SEC Evening Report: Ole Miss Heads to the Swamp as Florida Returns to the Rankings

**Published:** 2026-09-24 — **By:** Stacy Stanfield
**Category:** daily-roundup — **Type:** daily-roundup
**Source:** https://secscouts.com/news/sec-evening-report-ole-miss-at-florida-swamp-preview

**Teams:** [Alabama](https://secscouts.com/alabama/), [Auburn](https://secscouts.com/auburn/), [Florida](https://secscouts.com/florida/), [Ole Miss](https://secscouts.com/ole-miss/), [Tennessee](https://secscouts.com/tennessee/)


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## LEAD STORY: Ole Miss vs. Florida Shapes Up as Saturday's SEC Headliner

Ole Miss travels to Gainesville this Saturday to face a ranked Florida team. Early betting lines make it one of the closest matchups on the SEC slate. According to a preview from the RSS Aggregator, sportsbooks opened with Florida as a 1.5-point favorite, and the line has since settled around 3. The preview's author called the game "essentially a push" and argued that Ole Miss should be favored on paper. The author's reasoning was the Ole Miss offense against what they called a Florida pass defense that "is not great."

The Rebels are coming off an eight-point win last week, per the same preview. The author noted a shaky third quarter before Ole Miss closed it out. The piece calls Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss "the best player in college football" and "the Heisman frontrunner." It also names Florida running back Jadan Baugh as the Gators' X-factor for Saturday.

The writer also ran the matchup through EA Sports' *College Football 27*. In that simulation, Ole Miss won 49-24 behind five Chambliss touchdown passes and a 198-yard receiving day from Deuce Alexander. **These are video game results, not real stats.** They show only what one simulation projected. Still, the sim's main theme matches the real questions for Saturday: explosive plays, pressure on Florida quarterback Aaron Philo, and whether Baugh can keep the Gators on schedule. The field will settle it at the Swamp.

## QUICK HITS

- **Tennessee volleyball opens SEC play against a top-10 opponent.** The No. 13 Lady Vols finished non-conference play 9-1 and return to Food City Center to host No. 7 Texas in their SEC opener. That puts two ranked teams against each other in league play from the first match.

- **Auburn freshmen making an early impact.** Auburn's official site highlighted freshmen Spencer and Zierer for their early contributions. The school's report did not include further details.

- **Alabama softball releases its fall schedule.** The Crimson Tide announced five fall ball dates in October and November. Four of them are at Rhoads Stadium, and the headliner is a matchup against in-state rival Auburn.

- **Ole Miss men's tennis advances at the ITA All-American Championships.** Kudernatsch and Pampanin won a doubles match Wednesday at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and moved on in the ITA All-American doubles draw.

- **Alabama swimming and diving opens its 2026-27 season.** The Crimson Tide begins its season Friday, Sept. 25, at the College Swimming League (CSL) match, which starts at 5:30 p.m. CT.

- **Texas cross country previews SEC Championship course.** The Longhorns compete Friday at the Gans Creek Classic, on the same course that will host the SEC Championship later this fall.

## PORTAL WATCH

No transfer portal activity involving SEC programs was reported in the last 12 hours. With the football season underway, portal movement has slowed. SEC Scouts will report new entries or commitments as they happen.

## RECRUITING BUZZ

No new commitments to SEC programs were reported this evening. Official visit weekends during the fall usually bring new decisions, so the recruiting board could change quickly once Saturday's games are over.

## GAMES TO WATCH

No SEC games are scheduled for today, but the weekend schedule is busy:

- **Volleyball: No. 7 Texas at No. 13 Tennessee** – The SEC opener for both teams at Food City Center in Knoxville. It's a ranked-vs.-ranked match between a Tennessee team that went 9-1 in non-conference play and a top-10 Texas team.
- **Swimming & Diving: Alabama at CSL Match** – Friday, Sept. 25, 5:30 p.m. CT, the Crimson Tide's season opener.
- **Cross Country: Texas at the Gans Creek Classic** – Friday, on the course that will host the SEC Championship.
- **Football: Ole Miss at Florida** – Saturday in Gainesville. The line sits around Florida -3. Expect a high-powered Ole Miss offense against a ranked Florida team playing at home in the Swamp.

Stay with SEC Scouts for full coverage throughout the weekend.

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*Original article: [SEC Evening Report: Ole Miss Heads to the Swamp as Florida Returns to the Rankings](https://secscouts.com/news/sec-evening-report-ole-miss-at-florida-swamp-preview) — SEC Scouts*