The question has surfaced in recent years: Who is Ole Miss’ biggest rival, LSU or Mississippi State?

It would seem logical that the answer would be Mississippi State; the Bulldogs are of closer proximity and the status of the Egg Bowl has been elevated in recent years with some classic games. Plus, you’re born either a Bulldog or a Rebel in the Magnolia State.

LSU has the history with Ole Miss, however. The Rebels and Bayou Bengals played many great games in the 1950s and 60s, which budded the series into a rivalry.

The latest installment takes place Saturday night in Death Valley, and the question was posed to Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze during his weekly news conference, reports Hugh Kellenberger of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger.

“If you were to poll the more mature Ole Miss fan, the one that has been around longer, you may get LSU No. 1 with them,” Freeze said. “The younger fan you’re going to get Mississippi State No.1, LSU No. 2.”

Most teams around the SEC have more than one “rival.” Auburn has Alabama and Georgia. Alabama has Auburn and Tennessee. Florida has Tennessee and Georgia. LSU has Ole Miss and Arkansas.

Most SEC fans with ties to those rivalries are passionate about both games.

In 2003, LSU beat Ole Miss to deny the Rebels a trip to Atlanta to play in the SEC championship. However, with the seasons Ole Miss and Mississippi State are having, the Egg Bowl is set up to have unprecedented implications.