Ole Miss, Louisville set for ranked Week 1 clash in Nashville

No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 24 Louisville are scheduled to meet at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Sunday 6 September, in Week 1’s only fixture between teams ranked in the preseason AP Top 25.

CBS Sports lists a 7.30 p.m. ET start and ABC coverage for the matchup, which brings together two programmes with ambitions of competing deep into the postseason.

Ole Miss retains quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy. Chambliss enters the season after producing nearly 4,500 yards from scrimmage last year, according to the CBS Sports preview, but the Rebels will feature a largely rebuilt receiving corps and two new offensive tackles.

Louisville is expected to start transfer quarterback Lincoln Kienholz under coach Jeff Brohm. The Cardinals finished 9-4 last season after opening 7-1, with losses to Cal and Clemson curtailing their postseason prospects.

CBS Sports also notes that Louisville has defeated a top-11 opponent in each of Brohm’s three seasons. The preview nonetheless projects Ole Miss to build a two-possession lead and recommends the Rebels at -7. Both the projected result and betting line are predictions, rather than confirmed outcomes.