Ole Miss will be traveling to Gainesville, Florida this weekend to play a still undefeated Florida team this week. What this probably means is the Rebels will have the pleasure of handing the Gators their first loss of the season, in the Swamp no less.

The Rebels looked like they caught a cold last Saturday in their small victory against the Commodores, but performances like this aren’t uncommon for highly-ranked teams. (Remember the fuss everyone made over Ohio State’s tussle with Northern Illinois last week?) And if a highly-ranked team is truly worth its spot, it never has a mediocre performance two weeks in a row.

But before we talk about any sort of blowout, let’s talk about an actual problem that’s occurring for Ole Miss: the offensive line.

First of all, Vanderbilt had nine tackles for a loss. That’s not good. Ole Miss also showed some difficulty running the ball up the middle because running lanes weren’t being created. RB Jaylon Walton put up big numbers with 21 carries and 133 rushing yards, most coming from the outside. But RBs Jordan Wilkins and Akeem Judd did not, combining only 9 carries and 30 rushing yards.

All of these points, while notable, do not compare with the offensive line’s primary purpose: protecting the quarterback. Ole Miss’s offensive line struggled to do that. Chad Kelly suffered three quarterback hurries, even though it looked like way more, and three sacks at the hands of the Commodores. One of those sacks and two of those hurries came from the same Vanderbilt defender. Against Alabama, Kelly was sacked twice but was hurried four times.

Florida, as it turns out, happens to have the third best rush defense in the SEC right now, as well as the fourth best total defense. The Gators sacked Josh Dobbs three times last Saturday, and sacked Patrick Towles six times. DL Alex McCalister is starting to make smothering QBs his specialty, as he delivered three sacks in the last two games. Additionally, Florida has been in the double digits for tackles for a loss in its last three games.

It’s safe to say the Gators are going to get after it against the Rebels offensive line on Saturday.

It’s equally safe to say that the Rebels defensive line is going to get after the Gators offensive line. The weaknesses of Florida’s o-line have been a recurring storyline since the offseason and, while there has been definite improvement, it still struggles with giving QB Will Grier both time and protection to make the best possible decisions. Florida is 10th in the SEC for sacks allowed. It may serve Grier well to brace himself for Saturday. Either that or get some run practice in.

Ole Miss at Florida will be a fun game of chicken between offensive lines. Which do you think will crumble first?

FLORIDA GATORS CLOSER LOOK

Top Week 4 player, offense: Antonio Callaway, Fr., WR — Callaway’s miracle touchdown catch on a 4th and 14 last week will forever be a sweet memory in the Gator Nation’s mind. He had 5 total receptions against Tennessee for 112 yards. After his show last Saturday, he will be seeing more balls thrown his way.

Top Week 4 player, defense: Jonathan Bullard, S., DL — It’s no surprise a member of Florida’s defensive line occupies this spot. Bullard had 8 total tackles last week, the third highest on the team. He also accounted for one sack and a huge 3.5 tackles for a loss.

Top Week 4 player, special teams: Johnny Townsend, So., P — Townsend continues to be a solid presence on punting for the Gators. He punted 7 times against Tennessee for a combined 347 yards, averaging 49.6 yards per punt with a long of 61 yards. He also managed to down three punts inside the 20.