Ole Miss Football: Uniforms, NCAA and Why Ole Miss Will Be Good

It’s hard to believe we are roughly one month from the start of Ole Miss football and we have much to discuss about the Rebels.

If you’re like me, you can’t wait for Ole Miss football!  If you’re like me, you know the Ole Miss offense is going to be explosive.  If you’re like me you are wondering if the defense will improve.  If you’re like me, you don’t care about the uniform choices.  Let’s start there.  It seems that only Ole Miss fans get caught up in what uniform the team wears.  If they win, I don’t care if they play in paper sacks.  I personally like the “Great White Shark” uniforms which will be unveiled for the Texas Tech game.  If you don’t like them, it doesn’t matter because if the players like them then we have done our job.

Let’s focus on what’s important and that is buying tickets and go to the games.  Next, if you haven’t heard Ole Miss met with the NCAA appeals committee in mid July in Indianapolis.  A few days later in New Albany, Mississippi Judge Kelly Luther heard the motions from both sides in the Rebel Rags case versus Leo Lewis, Kobe Jones, Dan Mullen, Scott Stricklin and the NCAA.  Folks these are two trains side by side going down parallel tracks.  At some point those tracks will cross and the trains will either collide or the engineer will negotiate the tracks in order to avoid a disaster.  I believe the latter will happen and here’s why.

A Closer Look At The NCAA

Ole Miss Rebels Football

The NCAA does not want this trial to go forward.  If it does, it will expose wrong doings at the NCAA, their investigators and other schools.  After the recent college basketball scandal, the last thing they need is one in football.  I believe the NCAA Appeals committee will exonerate Terry Warren and Rebel Rags and reduce some of Ole Miss’s penalties to include the all important unofficial visit limitation that has been imposed.

That penalty is the most crippling and it must be overturned for Ole Miss to be competitive in the recruiting arena.  Once that happens I believe the Rebel Rags case will be settled quietly and will go away.  Can you imagine the circus if it goes to court?  It would be must see TV and trials are “like a box of chocolates because you never know what you’re gonna get.”

While I’d love to get the bowl game back, I believe the NCAA will save face by enforcing that and if we have a choice in the matter, trust me on this, the unofficial visits are of the utmost importance.  The bowl game, while fun for the players and fans and there is a financial benefit, but it has zero impact on the 2019 recruiting class.  Have a winning season and by beating MSU again, you’ve got all you need to secure a great class.

Why The Rebels Will Be Good

Next, why do I think Ole Miss will be good?  There are several reason and the nasty wide outs and Jordan Ta’amu are just part of it.  If you talk to college coaches and experts in the industry, they will tell you to look at the number of starts the starting offensive line has as a unit.  If they get over ninety, that is a good sign of having a cohesive solid unit.  Well the Ole Miss offensive line has 103 combined starts and at have at least three players that will or could be NFL bound in Greg Little, Javon Patterson and Sean Rawlings.  There could be others like Jordan Sims.  This unit is not only one of the best in the SEC, but also in the nation.

We will be hard to stop by any team including Alabama.  With a great offensive line that sets up the run and with Jordan Ta’amu, our receivers and tight end, how do you defend an offense like ours.  It will be very difficult to say the least.  If you remember I predicted Ole Miss to go 9-3.  I believe the defense will be improved from last year.  Maybe not great but good enough to win nine games.  If they over achieve, then watch out!  This team could be the Auburn of 1993.  Remember them?

Terry Bowden took over a team that was on NCAA probation and couldn’t go to a bowl. What did they do?  They went 11-0 and shook things up.  Imagine if Ole Miss were to do that.  The playoff would be tainted beyond belief.  Now that would be fun.  So, sit back, buy your tickets and get your popcorn.  It’s going to be a dramatic season in many ways.  See you in Houston.  Hotty Toddy!