No. 10 Alabama and No. 11 Ole Miss square off Saturday in Oxford (2:30 p.m., CBS).

To preview the game, TideIllustrated managing editor Tony Tsoukalas and RebelGrove publisher Neal McCready exchanged questions and answers about the Crimson Tide and the Rebels.

Tony Tsoukalas: Ole Miss went hard in the transfer market, and it seemed to pay off. Is that a sustainable route for Lane Kiffin moving forward?

Neal McCready: It’s definitely paid off so far, as so much of Ole Miss’ production comes from guys who came to Oxford via the portal. That said, your question is a great one, and I think it’s one Kiffin and his staff are wrestling with on a daily basis.

When Kiffin first got to Ole Miss, the roster was depleted a bit, so he dove into the portal, turning this season into a competitive one rather than a rebuilding one.

With the success he’s had — Ole Miss is 18-3 in the regular season in the last two seasons — Kiffin has started to have more success on the recruiting trail. The Rebels are fishing in the four-star waters, if you will, and I anticipate a larger high school class this year with a little less reliance on the transfer portal. That said, Kiffin has made Ole Miss a portal destination, and he’s not the most patient guy.

In short, it’s fluid.

Tony Tsoukalas: Outside of the obvious difference makers, who could step up as an X-factor for Ole Miss against Alabama?

Neal McCready: I keep waiting for UCF transfer portal wide receiver Jaylon Robinson to step up and make an impact. Also, there are some vibes that tight end Michael Trigg Jr. is going to return from the broken collarbone he suffered last month at Vanderbilt. If he does, he adds a lot of dimension to Ole Miss’ offense.

Tony Tsoukalas: Quinshon Judkins has been one of the biggest surprises of the season. When did he start showing signs that he would be this productive, and what has allowed him to have this much instant success?

Neal McCready: Day One. He looked amazing from the day he arrived in Oxford. Everyone raved about him all summer, saying he was simply “different.” He’s got great vision. He sees the lane before most backs do, and he’s a tough back who loves contact and gets better as the game goes on. He’s a future star in this league, and likely in the one beyond this one.

Tony Tsoukalas: Alabama was able to limit Ole Miss to 78 yards on the ground last season. What have the Rebels done this year to show they’ll have more success on the ground against the Crimson Tide?

Neal McCready: That’s a great question. If Ole Miss can’t have more success on the ground, the Rebels are not winning. It’s as simple as that. Judkins, Zach Evans and Jaxson Dart simply must be effective on the ground for Ole Miss to have a chance. They’ve run effectively against everyone, with the possible exception of Vanderbilt, who dared Ole Miss to throw it. LSU slowed down the Rebels’ running game in the second half and that was that. The interior of Ole Miss’ line is strong and physical. The young tackles are better in the running game than they are in pass protection. Kiffin’s ability to create running lanes is one of his most underrated strong suits, but Alabama will put that to test.

Tony Tsoukalas: Ole Miss has allowed just seven sacks this season. Do you think the Rebels be able to keep Jaxson Dart on his feet against Alabama’s trio of five-star pass rushers?

Neal McCready: You just hit on the thing I’m really watching Saturday. Can Ole Miss’ freshman tackles handle Will Anderson and Dallas Turner and Co. LSU overwhelmed them, so they’ve had some time to think about it. They handled Texas A&M much better two weeks ago, but I have to believe Alabama is going to go after them when it gets Ole Miss in passing situations. Dart’s feet has allowed him to escape some sacks, but Alabama’s guys are a different monster.

Tony Tsoukalas: Ole Miss pulls off the win if….

Neal McCready: Ole Miss wins if Alabama is a bit checked out, a little discombobulated and the Rebels jump ahead early and gain some confidence. Ole Miss wins if Alabama turns it over and continues its trend of committing costly penalties on the road. Lastly, Ole Miss wins if it can run the football effectively, creating some passing game opportunities.

Tony Tsoukalas: How do you see this week’s game playing out, and what is your score prediction?

Neal McCready: A part of me thinks it’s either an easy Alabama win or Ole Miss pulls off an upset. That said, every computer model has the Crimson Tide winning by 7-10 points, and that’s probably right. I think it’s a fun game, a competitive game, etc., but Alabama presents real match-up issues for Ole Miss, and I think that will bear itself out on Saturday afternoon.

Neal McCready: Alabama is, for all intents and purposes, out of the championship race. How do you think the Crimson Tide responds in an inconsequential game?

Tony Tsoukalas: Nick Saban and the players are saying the right things, but it’s kind of hard to believe that a team that has been mentally weak the whole season will completely turn it around now that there’s nothing to play for. Alabama responded relatively well against Mississippi State following its loss to Tennessee. The Crimson Tide also hasn’t lost back-to-back regular season games since 2007.

Neal McCready: Alabama flirted with disaster in Austin, toyed with it in Fayetteville, lost in Knoxville and then lost in Baton Rouge. Is that just a coincidence or is there something to this belief that this Alabama team is different on the road?

Tony Tsoukalas: This is Nick Saban’s most undisciplined Alabama. There is plenty of blame to spread around from player leadership and coaching from the staff as well as Saban himself. That being said, I think this team is what it is. If it was just a coincidence, it wouldn’t have happened four times.

Alabama was flagged nine times against LSU over the reason. To be fair, that was the least the Tide has been penalized on the road this season. Perhaps it will only get whistled eight times at Ole Miss on Saturday.

Neal McCready: What is Bryce Young’s health situation? He’s a great player, obviously, but is he limited at all with his shoulder?

Tony Tsoukalas: Young is back to practicing with the team. He’s cleared by the medical staff and continues to tell coaches that he feels good enough to play. Young at less than 100% is still better than most quarterbacks in the nation, so Alabama is going to continue to play him. However, I think it’s safe to say his shoulder is still bothering him a bit.

Neal McCready: Will Anderson is a special player. However, he’s been a little less impactful than I expected he would be this fall. Do you agree? And if so, what’s the difference?

Tony Tsoukalas: There have been times when Anderson has affected games without shining as brightly in the box score. For example, he had eight quarterback hurries against Texas A&M without recording a sack. Still, I think even he would agree that he has played below his potential at times this season. Anderson leads Alabama with seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss. He’s not having a bad season by any measure, but as the most talented defender in college football, those numbers should be higher.

Neal McCready: Alabama’s lack of elite, impactful wide receivers is glaring. Is that a surprise inside the program?

Tony Tsoukalas: Yes. Alabama has had several misses in its receiving corps. Georgia transfer Jermaine Burton was supposed to be the next big thing but has been invisible at times this season. Louisville transfer Tyler Harrell has hardly played after suffering a foot injury early in the fall. The only really consistent receiver in the unit has been sophomore Ja’Corey Brooks. Alabama has plenty of talent in the unit, but its uncertain how much of it will actually pan out.

Neal McCready: I’ll mirror you here. Alabama wins if…

Tony Tsoukalas: Alabama wins if it truly wants to. Ole Miss is having a better season than Alabama, but the Crimson Tide has more talent and should be able to handle the Rebels if it comes out focused and plays a clean game. That sound like a confident statement, but Alabama has done nothing all season to show it’s going to do either of those things during its trip to Oxford.

Tactically speaking, Alabama is generally good at stopping the run. If it can limit Ole Miss on the ground as it did last season, it will have a better chance of getting to Jaxson Dart on passing plays. From there, the Crimson Tide will need to improve on its ability to force turnovers.

Neal McCready: How do you see this week’s game playing out, and what is your score prediction?

Tony Tsoukalas: I’m going to give Alabama the benefit of the doubt and assume it comes up with a response. I’ll go 42-24, Alabama. However, I could see just about anything happening, including an Ole Miss blowout.