Tyler Waldrep: Sports Editor of The Crimson White
When Ole Miss and Alabama clash this weekend in Tuscaloosa, the Rebels will either make history or repeat it.
The last time coach Hugh Freeze and the Rebels came to town, it seemed like Ole Miss was well aware that it had only won one road game in the rivalry. The play calling seemed to reflect a team that was trying to pull off the upset and not a team that thought it was playing on equal footing.
Last season, Ole Miss got that upset in a 23-17 win, and it will be interesting to see if this Ole Miss team can remain confident in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
If Alabama’s secondary has failed to improve since last year, then receiver Laquon Treadwell and tight end Evan Engram could be in for big games. I actually think Alabama cornerback Cyrus Jones and company will put themselves in a position to contain Treadwell. If that happens, Engram might be the Rebels’ best chance of moving the ball.
Both teams have talent up front, but only one team has a pair of proven running backs. If Alabama can establish the ground game with Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake, it could give the Crimson Tide the advantage.
Two talented defenses and a pair of inexperienced quarterbacks is a recipe for disaster. This game feels like it could be won off of turnovers, and the quarterback that has to throw the most passes might be the one who gives the game away.
Prediction: Alabama 31, Ole Miss 17
Dylan Rubino: Sports Editor of The Daily Mississippian
The previous matchup between these two schools in 2013 in Tuscaloosa seems like a distant memory now.
Ole Miss was a young football team back then, in Freeze’s second year in charge of the Rebels. That outstanding 2013 class were just freshmen. The year is now 2015, Freeze is in his fourth year and those outstanding freshmen now have two full years of experience under their belts.
Alabama has a huge advantage in the running game with junior Derrick Henry as the workhorse in the backfield for the Crimson Tide. Henry finished last year’s matchup with 17 carries for 37 yards. The Rebels did a great job of containing him last year, but expect a lot more carries and a lot more production form the Heisman front-runner.
Chad Kelly is firing on all cylinders for the Rebels and has a big task at hand going into Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday night. If Kelly plays within the tempo of the offense, limits turnovers and gets the ball vertically down the field to his playmakers, the Rebel offense will score enough points to defeat Alabama. Even without Laremy Tunsil, the tempo of the offense will give Kelly and the offense enough time to make plays.
The key matchup for me is the Ole Miss receivers against the Alabama secondary. The Rebels have the height advantage when it comes to the matchup. Not only are the Ole Miss receivers big, but they can create separation for Kelly to throw them the ball.
This game reminds me of last year’s Egg Bowl victory over Mississippi State. Most of the match-ups favor the Rebels on both sides of the ball. Ole Miss has only won in Tuscaloosa once, back in 1988.
It’s about to be twice.
Prediction: Ole Miss 27, Alabama 21
