Mississippi head coach Hugh Freeze reacts to a penalty during the first half of an NCAA college football game against LSU in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014. (Photo/Thomas Graning)
The Ole Miss Rebels went into a hostile environment Saturday night in Death Valley and fell to LSU 10-7. After the loss, many fans and members of the media have seemingly panicked over the loss. The overall mood seems to be that this loss has spoiled the Rebels’ historic run and the entire season.
I am about to tell you why it is not time to hit the panic button just yet.
First and most importantly, the Rebels still control their own destiny.
Everything Rebel Nation had hoped and dreamed of accomplishing before the season is still right in front of us. Ole Miss has four games remaining in the 2014 regular season. Three of these games are at home with the only road game coming against Arkansas on Nov. 22. If the Rebels were to win each of the remaining four games, which is a very doable task I might add, it would put them at a 11-1 record overall, 7-1 in SEC play and in the SEC championship game in Atlanta. Wins over Auburn and Mississippi State would push Auburn to two conference losses and give State at least one, depending on how they finish the year leading into the Egg Bowl.
Even if Alabama and Mississippi State finish with one loss in conference play, the Rebels would advance because they would have beaten both teams head to head. One of our goals at the beginning of the year was to win a conference championship. That goal is still attainable with a win in each of the last four games.
Many fans and members of the media declared that the Rebels’ national championship hopes were spoiled because of the drop in the rankings.
That is also not entirely true.
The Rebels are still right in the hunt to earn a spot in the first annual college football playoff. Ole Miss sits 7th in the AP poll. The AP poll serves very little meaning with the college football playoff committee poll coming out on Tuesday night. Ole Miss is one of thirteen one-loss teams ranked in the AP top 15. The beauty of the Rebels’ remaining schedule is that two of the seven teams ranked ahead of us have to come make a trip to play in Oxford.
Another stat that may be comforting to those doubting the playoff chances of Ole Miss is this: The SEC has had a representative in each of the last eight national championship games. Only two of the eight teams have reached the championship game with an undefeated record. The two teams were Alabama in 2009 and Auburn in 2010. Recent history clearly shows that one loss does not make or break a season.
Before people abandon ship and begin to panic, I encourage Rebel Nation to put this loss into perspective.
The Rebels are about to complete the fifth and final game of their toughest stretch of games. A win this weekend would put Ole Miss at 4-1 at the end of the ridiculously tough stretch.
At the beginning of the year, I am pretty confident that the majority of fans would have been happy with that 4-1 record.
The Rebel defense is still the best in the country. The offense sputtered the entire game for the first time this year in a tough environment but has time to grow and correct mistakes in the next five weeks with a bye week coming after the Presbyterian game.
Ole Miss must return to focusing on each week and staying in the moment. The big picture will become clear soon enough. Lets put this loss behind us and focus on the next task at hand: Auburn.
It all starts with Auburn this Saturday. Lets get behind this team and help them knock off another top five opponent and take another step closer to winning an SEC West crown. It is still all in the Rebels’ control. This team still controls its own destiny.
