SEC Media Days voters confirm that Ole Miss runs the Sip

When Mississippi State linebacker John Lewis was asked about the Ole Miss “Come to the Sip” mantra, he replied, “They want to be us.” This started a social media debate: Who runs the Sip? Well, when it comes to football, the SEC media have confirmed it’s Ole Miss right now.

You could go back and forth between the two programs on why they are the superior team in Mississippi. Though it’s likely Ole Miss, one thing is sure: since Lane Kiffin took the head coach’s job in Oxford in 2020, the Rebels are No.1 regarding football.

Both sides of Mississippi will back their teams; it’s tribal to do so. The neutral vote will go a long way in deciding the outcome, with the 2024 SEC Media voting suggesting that Ole Miss is undoubtedly the best team right now.

The SEC predicted order of finish was released today, with the combined media at SEC Media Days contributing to the results with their votes. Ole Miss finished at No.4, with 2783 points, only 108 behind third-place Alabama, and 547 behind No. 1 ranked Georgia.

Scroll down the list, and you will find Mississippi State with 623 votes, with only Vanderbilt below them. Yes, they are heading into the 2024 season with new head coach Jeff Lebby, so the media will be much lower on them.

Even before then, Lane Kiffin won the Egg Bowl three times in four seasons while finishing above the Bulldogs in those three seasons. Ole Miss has had two double-digit win seasons since 2020, while Mississippi State has had zero.

The SEC Media also voted on the top players in the conference, with the Preseason ALL-SEC First-Team, Second-Team, and Third Teams revealed. Ole Miss saw six players make Preseason ALL-SEC honors.

Tre Harris, Caden Prieskorn, and Walter Nolen all made the ALL-SEC First-Team, just like they did on the Athlon Sports preseason team. Jared Ivey made the ALL-SEC Second-Team, while Princely Umanmielen and Ulysses Bentley IV were ALL-SEC Third-Team players.

To follow up on the earlier discussion of which team was the best in Mississippi, the Bulldogs had zero players make the teams. This does support the narrative that Ole Miss is the better football program in the state. However, it was a surprise not to see at least one Mississippi State player make the preseason all-SEC.