FILE PHOTO: CADY HERRING Football players “Lock the Vaught” under the direction of Coach Freeze before the Alabama Game.
Last Saturday was one of the most memorable wins in Ole Miss history. It was a day unlike any other and will forever be remembered as a program-changing day for Ole Miss fans. As much as the game meant, it is only one conference win.
This Saturday, the Rebels have another tough conference game. In a lot of ways, it may be the toughest task all season. Any time you go on the road in this league it’s a test. Texas A&M is coming off a big loss against Mississippi State and is desperate for the opportunity to get back into the SEC West race.
Kyle Field is one of the most hostile environments in college football and the Rebels will find themselves in the middle of 83,000 screaming fans with a lot on the line.
What’s at stake for the Rebels in this game? A lot of things can change with a win this weekend. A win this weekend and Ole Miss sits at 2-0 in conference road games with only two more road games to play. Any win on the road in the SEC is absolutely essential.
If you are to look at the remaining SEC schedules among the contenders in the SEC West, a win would mean all roads to the SEC Championship in Atlanta come through Oxford. Regardless of the outcome between Mississippi State and Auburn, the likely contenders in the west with a Rebel win this weekend would be Ole Miss, Auburn, Mississippi State and Alabama. What do all of these teams have in common? They all had or have to make a visit to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
A Rebel win this weekend would require the remaining undefeated and one loss teams in the West to come get a win in Oxford in order to go to Atlanta. Alabama can attest to just how difficult accomplishing that is to do.
A win this weekend is a step closer to being in the drivers seat to win the SEC West.
Finally, the Rebels can continue validating themselves as a power in this league. After the win on Saturday, the common opinion around the nation is that the Rebels have arrived. Now that we have arrived, where do we go from here?
Paul Finebaum among other SEC and sports analysts across the country still do not seem to be sold on the Rebels. While they marvel at Mississippi State being one of the favorites in the West, they still seem to doubt us. While their opinion matters very little to me and more importantly to the players and staff in the Ole Miss locker room, it always adds to the achievement to prove the doubters wrong.
Saturday did not make the season, but is only a step in the process to achieving greatness. If this team is going to make history, it is a season-long process. Each week becomes increasingly important as we get deeper into SEC play. Saturday might just be the important game. The Rebels have a chance to grab the keys to the drivers seat in the SEC West.
The kind of history Rebel Nation is looking to make does not stop after last weekend. It is a season long journey. Freeze encourages staying in the moment. The moment now focuses on College Station and Texas A&M.
This weekend is another great opportunity for the Rebels to further validate themselves while also taking control of the race to winning the SEC West. Let’s get behind this team and watch them take another step towards accomplishing history.
