12/9/08
Ole Miss being ranked this highly may be the next biggest surprise in our ’09 Early Bird Preview (behind Georgia Tech) given the history of the SEC. This ranking spot is generally reserved for the Auburn's and Tennessee's of the south. But with the recent downgrade of the SEC by its own standards, a higher expectation has been placed upon Houston Nutt's 2009 squad. Ole Miss welcomes back 17 starters from a team that won in impressive fashion their last five games to close out ‘08. Their victory over Florida in The Swamp and their close outing on the road versus Alabama has thrown more fuel on their rising fire. Certainly the loss of big time linemen Michael Oher at his OT spot and Peria Jerry from his defensive NT position leaves a few question marks in terms of how good the interior lines can be. Luckily, all the talk about how well former head coach Ed Orgeron recruited has proven to be true. Nutt did not inherit an empty cupboard, and the dividends are now being seen. The biggest and best acquisition was at QB where Texas-transfer Jevan Snead is proving to be worthy of the hype (All-SEC Honorable Mention selection in his first year at the helm, sitting only behind Tim Tebow and Matthew Stafford). Five of the top six pass catchers are back, including All-SEC all-purpose back Dexter McCluster, who produced 598/542 yards rushing/receiving this past fall. The ball carriers have upwards of four different options including prep superstar Enrique Davis. Defensively, running against this bunch has proven troublesome and was a big reason the Rebels were able to contain on D. This side of the ball is currently searching for some new playmakers, however, which could spell the difference between a repeat performance and a big time letdown. Coach Nutt has all the pieces in place to make a move in proving Ole Miss can compete with the big boys. With its conference brethren seeing some of their worst days, now is the time to make that move.