PHOTO BY: THOMAS GRANING Hugh Freeze and defensive back Cliff Coleman run onto the field before the game on Saturday.
The Rebels took the defining leap into the AP Top 10 for the first time since 2009 on Sunday.
For those of you who don’t remember, 2009 was the year of the so-called “Jevan Snead for Heisman” talks and former head coach Houston Nutt turning around a program that formerly suffered under Ed Orgeron. The Rebels started off the season ranked eighth in the country and finished 20th.
The hype then was a fluke. This 2014 season is where all the expectations mesh together, and the Rebels prove they’re worthy of being ranked in the top 10.
When you look at all the powerhouses in the Southeastern Conference, including Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Georgia, South Carolina and so on, the thing these programs build and focus on is depth. When one man gets hurt, the next guy comes in and plays just as well as the man before him on the depth chart.
Ole Miss is finally getting to that point. The Rebels seem to have depth at every position throughout the depth chart and the bodies to keep up with the top dogs in the conference.
Despite being ranked in the AP Top 10, the Rebels are fifth in the SEC West behind LSU, Texas A&M, Auburn and Alabama.
After a bye week and a game against Memphis at home in two weeks, Alabama comes to town in the Rebels’ first home SEC game.
Signs of progression were shown in 2013 when then ninth ranked Texas A&M came to Oxford and defeated the Rebels 41-38 on a game-winning field goal. The Rebel defense swarmed after former Aggie quarterback Johnny Manziel the entire game, but the former Heisman trophy winner came through in the end to rip the hearts out of Rebels fans.
The following week, Ole Miss fought through a rash of injuries to upset then number six LSU 27-24. The win over the rival Tigers showed that the Ole Miss program has come a long way since going 2-10 in 2011 and winless in conference play.
The quarterback play has been outstanding and consistent from senior Bo Wallace. Wallace has stepped up as one of the leaders of this football team and made drastic strides in the off season to improve his game and mechanics to make the leap as one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC.
The depth at running back and wide receiver has been crucial. The running game may be a work in progress, but the depth at the position provides fresh legs every snap on offense.
Wallace has countless options to throw to in the passing game. Sophomore Laquon Treadwell, junior Cody Core, senior Vince Sanders, sophomore Quincy Adeboyejo, sophomore tight end Evan Engram and many more provide options for Wallace and can all make explosive plays through the air.
The defense has been the bright spot through the first quarter of the season. The “landshark” defense has given up just 31 points so far this season and given up an average of 10.3 points per game. The defense features veterans and players with experience at every position. The defense has focused more on creating turnovers and swarming to the ball with relentless effort. The result is nine forced turnovers for the defense, something the Rebels have failed to be consistent at in the past couple of years.
What will determine the success of this years team will be how they handle the pressure of big game situations. The 2009 team faltered in those situations, losing games at South Carolina, home against Alabama, at Auburn and at Mississippi State. The expectations were high, and it buried the Rebels then.
Hugh Freeze has built a mentality at Ole Miss to fight for one another and focus on the task at hand in order to build continuity and success. This is the year that it all comes together. This is not your Houston Nutt Ole Miss. This is a new era.
At the 2014 SEC Media Days, head coach Hugh Freeze said his program is ahead of schedule on where he expected his team to be in year three of the “journey.” He mentioned that the “buy-in” percentage is at an all-time high and he feels that it is enough to do special things in Oxford.
He may not have foreseen this much success in year three, but his team is well-equipped to handle it.
Bright times are ahead in Oxford.
