Meaningful home games in November. That’s what fan bases crave for, and that’s what No. 24 Ole Miss gets Saturday night with No. 8 Missouri rolling into town.
It’s been a long time since the Rebels have really felt confident in a home showdown with a top-10 team on the horizon. In fact, the last time it happened was 10 years ago today.
Everyone remembers that one. Ole Miss vs. LSU. A trip to the SEC Championship in Atlanta on the line. Eli Manning’s senior season. It was Ole Miss’ moment, but it wasn’t. The two teams added a chapter to their historic rivalry in what ended up as a 17-14 Tiger win. Oh, what a painful loss that was.
Now 10 years later, the Rebels have a chance to show the college football world that Ole Miss football is back.
Sure, they’ve had some huge wins since that 2003 season –– the win over Florida at the Swamp in 2008, the Cotton Bowl win over Texas Tech, the LSU win just earlier this season.
Those were all huge wins, but they were upsets. They were all games Ole Miss shocked the world in. Those are nice, but when you beat a big-time opponent when everyone thinks you have a chance, that’s when you’ve arrived. That’s when you can say Ole Miss football is for real.
Well, Saturday night brings that opportunity.
Missouri has taken the Southeastern Conference by storm this season. No one expected them to be this good, but no one’s proven they aren’t. South Carolina had a big-time comeback to knock off the Tigers in October, but other than that, they’ve handled everyone. They’ve earned their top-10 ranking. No one can deny that.
And for Ole Miss, they’ve been in the thick of every game except for at Alabama when the Rebel offense couldn’t get on track. Their three losses are to teams ranked No. 1, No. 6 and No. 9 in this week’s AP poll. They knocked off LSU when they were in the top-10. People believe this Ole Miss team can and will beat Missouri this weekend. Now, it’s up to them.
This game isn’t the same magnitude as that 2003 LSU game, and it isn’t even as big as the Alabama game was in 2009. However, it’s a home night game against at top-10 team, and it’s a game Ole Miss fans really think they can win.
Ole Miss doesn’t typically fare well in these types of games. But this isn’t the same Ole Miss anymore.
The feeling around Oxford and this football program is different. Head coach Hugh Freeze feels different. Everything just feels different, and maybe, it’s will be different.
No, this isn’t a make or break game for Freeze or his program. But it’s a game that could boost a program, which is already ahead of Freeze’s original plan, way ahead of schedule. It’s a game that can show Ole Miss football will be a contender for the years to come in the SEC. It’s a game that could be the reason for another top-10 ranked recruiting class come National Signing Day in February.
So while on paper, it looks like Missouri, who has to win out to win the SEC East, is the only one with something to play for, they aren’t. Ole Miss has plenty to play for come Saturday. After 10 frustrating years, it may finally be Ole Miss’ moment.
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— David Collier
thedmsports@gmail.com
