The Duke Blue Devils and Ole Miss Rebels will enter the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl with the same record, but ESPN Analytics doesn't see the two programs as evenly matched. The ESPN Matchup Predictor gives Duke a 16.

This is the third straight bowl appearance for the squad from Durham, who has won its past two. Last year, interim head coach Trooper Taylor led his team to a 17-10 defeat of Troy in the Birmingham Bowl, and Duke took down UCF 30-13 in the 2022 Military Bowl .

Ole Miss 26, Duke 23: The Rebels could bring a strong team with more high-end talent than Duke can match. The Rebels could also bring a shell of its team to Jacksonville. It depends how many players with NFL futures choose to opt out for bowl games. Early, though, the Rebels should be the favorite.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Ole Miss Rebels football team has officially accepted an invitation to compete in the 80th TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, marking the program’s fifth consecutive bowl appearance under head coach Lane Kiffin. The game will take place at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, with a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff.

Instead, head coach Lane Kiffin and Co. will have to settle for the prestigious Gator Bowl which it last appeared in way back in 1990, a 35-3 loss to Michigan. However, a loss doe