Mississippi vs. Texas Tech

Kliff Kingsbury got a huge win vs. Texas that made the Red Raiders Bowl eligible a year ago, perhaps saving his job. He is going to be under the microscope all season, and he may not have the talent to deliver. Defense has always been the soft spot with his team, but DC David Gibbs is starting to build a defense that has been better than what we have seen in the Kingsbury era. Tech allowed 43.5 points per game in 2016, but just 32.2 ppg a year ago, and with nine starters returning, those numbers should fall again this season. Matt Like got the most he could out of a mediocre team last season,  but there are lots of problems in this program, and Ole Miss will be banned from Bowl play, making things a bit more challenging. Defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff saw his defense get hammered for 270 yards per game last year and he has added a lot of bulk to his 4-2-5 set. This should allow the Rebels to shave some yards off opponents' run games, and do a better job defending the run. Look for this one to play UNDER the total.