Ole Miss Football: It’s Official, Bama Week Is Here Once Again!
This is always my favorite week of the Ole Miss football season. Bama week is the one week I always look forward to and lately it’s paid off in very positive performances by the Rebels.
Ole Miss football has always kinda been the red-headed step-child when it comes to the Crimson Tide. Because of personal reasons and family ties I’ve always appreciated the Bama game each season more than most Rebel fans. Oh I don’t mean in just recent years. I mean those years when our wins over Bama were still in single digits.
I mean the year Brewer’s team beat Bama at their homecoming, the same day of the grand opening of the Bear Bryant museum. It was almost as good as beating them back to back in 2014 and 2015. To this fan, this is the test of your program. To be the best you have to beat the best. Right now, Bama is the best.
Bama Should Be Our Rival
Ole Miss Rebels Football
If I could dump State College as a rival and if I didn’t hate LSU as a real rival, I’d want Bama. They are the toughest team in the nation and there is no better way to gauge your strengths and weaknesses as a team.
Bama is not just another game. The Bama game is a season defining game. Of course, it got people’s attention when we beat Bama and went on to have great seasons.
Sure, every game matters, but beat Bama and you have everybody’s attention and usually you can count on it helping you in rankings and recruiting. Lord knows we could use the help in both of those areas right now.
Against All Odds
Of course, we are the underdog in the contest by the Vegas line and justifiably so. Bama completely blew out the Vandy defense. We are coming off a disappointing loss at Cal last Saturday and a bye-week.
Everybody says we aren’t supposed to go into Bryant-Denny expecting a win. Well, I’ve always expected a win. Each year for at least 40 years I’ve looked at this week on the schedule and hoped this would be the year. It was almost magical beating them in 2014 in the Vaught and then again in 2015 at Bryant-Denny.
In fact, Ole Miss has won 2 out of the last 3 and would’ve won last season if it hadn’t been for the second half defensive meltdown. Of course, if we play smart football and get off to a fast start I believe we can hang with Bama. You have to be fundamentally sound in every facet of the game to beat Bama. However, having had two weeks to prepare for Bama and to fix some deficiencies, I like our chances myself.
So this Saturday the underdog Rebels will once again roll into Tuscaloosa and attempt to prove the Vegas pundits wrong. This Rebel team has been here before and they know what’s at stake with the Bama game. This could make or break our young Rebels team. Hotty Toddy!