Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace is a dangerous dual threat, but must cut down on his turnovers. (US Presswire)

No. 25 State" data-canon="Ole Miss Rebels" data-type="SPORTS_OBJECT_TEAM" id="shortcode0"> (8-3, 4-3 SEC) at Ole Miss (5-6, 2-5 SEC)

Kickoff: Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPNU)

Spread: Ole Miss by 1.5

Watchability: The Bulldogs seek their fourth straight Egg Bowl win, a feat they haven’t achieved since World War II. Rebels seniors want to lift the Golden Egg trophy for the first time. “We will remind our kids every day this week of the importance of this game,” said Rebels coach Hugh Freeze, a Mississippi native who grew up an Ole Miss fan. Ole Miss also needs a win to reach a bowl for the first time since 2009.

Shining stars: Mississippi State -- CB Johnthan Banks. The All-American is a finalist for the Thorpe Award, which goes to the nation’s top defensive back. He’s broken up six passes and intercepted four, giving him 16 career INTs and tying him with Walt Harris for the school record. Ole Miss -- QB Bo Wallace. The redshirt sophomore accounted for 364 yards and four TDs (two rushing) in the loss to LSU, but was picked off three times. He ranks second on the team with 323 rushing yards.

Who could steal the show: Mississippi State -- QB Tyler Russell.  The reigning SEC offensive player of the week, Russell has set single-season school records for completions (201), passing yards (2,523) and TD passes (21). Ole Miss -- DE C.J. Johnson. The 6-3, 233-pound sophomore missed the LSU game with a back injury but is expected to be back Saturday. He’s come on strong and now has 4.5 sacks and 48 tackles. He had 1.5 sacks at Georgia, and recovered a fumble for a TD vs. Auburn.

You going? Ranking the road trip: With so much at stake for Ole Miss, there will be a special atmosphere in Oxford. It’s a season-defining game for the Rebels. As of Monday, only 3,500 tickets remained.

Magic number for Mississippi State: 3. That’s how many times the Bulldogs have won nine regular-season games in 112 years of football. They can make it four Saturday.

Magic number for Ole Miss: 22. That’s how many seniors will be playing their final game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. From losing 16 straight SEC games, they’ve come a long way in Freeze’s first season. But can they finally get over the hump against a quality conference opponent?

The game comes down to: The Rebels have given up 105 points in their three-game skid, but the return of Johnson and CB Charles Sawyer, who left the LSU game early, should bolster the defense. Ole Miss has history on its side -- a 21-11-3 mark in Oxford against MSU -- and seems due to win a close one after some heartbreaking SEC losses.

Prediction: Ole Miss 34, Mississippi State 31

For more up-to-the minute news and analysis from SEC bloggers Larry Hartstein and Daniel Lewis, follow @CBSSportsSEC.