Joel Klatt reveals Florida at Ole Miss pick

Joel Klatt didn’t hold back when breaking down Florida’s Week 12 trip to Oxford, offering a blunt assessment of the Gators and a confident prediction for Ole Miss. On The Joel Klatt Show, the FOX analyst pointed to recent performances, home-field dominance and revenge as key factors in how he sees this one.

“A week after giving Georgia a really quality game, Florida was a mess last week against Kentucky, of all teams,” Klatt said. “They lost 38-7. DJ Lagway was benched at halftime. Ole Miss is a really good team at home. They’ve won 20 of their last 21. Trinidad Chambliss has been really good on offense. He’s a dual threat, as we know. Over 300 yards in six of his last eight starts.”

Klatt questioned whether Florida can suddenly flip a switch on the road: “I mean, is this Florida team all of a sudden going to play great on the road? I don’t think that they are,” he continued. “It’s a 15.5-point spread at this time that I’m doing this.

“Because of that idea of Florida beating Ole Miss a year ago and that keeping Ole Miss out of the College Football Playoff, I think you get the full attention of Ole Miss. You get Ole Miss, 38-20. They cover the 15.5 spread.”

Moreover, oddsmakers seem to share that view. The Rebels opened as 13.5-point favorites at BetMGM, with the over/under set at 52.5 points. Lane Kiffin’s team enters at 9-1 and surging, riding three straight wins over Oklahoma, South Carolina, and The Citadel. With their CFP hopes still alive, Ole Miss can’t afford a slip-up, especially at home against a sub-.500 opponent.

Florida, meanwhile, is fighting simply to stay alive for bowl eligibility. The Gators are nearly a month removed from firing Billy Napier after a slow start, and despite climbing as high as No. 15 earlier in the season, they’ve dropped four of their last five. Their 38-7 collapse at Kentucky raised more questions about their quarterback, and they’re not entering a friendly road environment this weekend.

The stakes couldn’t be more different for these two programs. A Florida upset would be season-defining for an interim staff, but an Ole Miss loss would be devastating, likely throwing a wrench in any CFP hopes with November nearly over and little time to rebuild their résumé.

Klatt’s pick reflects a myriad of factors — urgency for the Rebels, their home advantage and the lingering bitterness from last year’s Florida upset. That’s all pushing the Rebels toward what he believes will be another statement win in 2025.

— On3’s Barkley Truax contributed to this article.

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