Ole Miss Football: Rebels Fans Should Set Expectations Higher

Week-four of the 2018 Ole Miss football season sees the 2-1 Rebels taking on Kent State and this week Rebels fans expectations should be high.

This past weekend Ole Miss football faced No.1 Alabama and sadly the Rebels fell in a very ugly 62-7 blowout. While the Tide were favored in the matchup there quite a few fans who were very surprised by the severity of the loss. The game was a real eye-opener for most fans and as expected many have voiced their opinions about the team and especially the defense now for the second week in a row.

We have learned a lot about this team over the past two games and the Alabama game was simply the exclamation point. Where many of us had high hopes for the Rebels headed into 2018 many of those fans hopes have been dashed and replaced by concern and worry. While it is understood how some Rebels could be a little quick to jump the gun after a loss like Bama we should keep in mind that it was No.1 Bama.

Saban and Bama have a way of teaching lessons and there will be other teams who have to figure it out the hard way. Thankfully our time against Bama is done and now we can move on. Of course this does nothing to change the fact we do have real problems on the defensive side of the ball. It doesn’t change the fact coach Wesley McGriff and the Rebels defense are backed up against the wall and have no place to go but to get better. Regardless, it’s not time to throw in the towel on this Ole Miss football team.

Some Rebels Expect More

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Yes, there is a lot of room for improvement with this team and this week was reportedly a very good week in practice. The Rebels will be hosting the Kent State Golden Flashes tomorrow in the Vaught and we can be sure they will be looking for some retribution from the Bama game. This is a good Rebels football team and while we may still have a long way to go we should keep our expectations high and especially for tomorrow.

Kent State may be considered by many to be a lesser opponent but we saw what Southern Illinois did for 2 quarters. This will be a big game for this Ole Miss team not because of what the final score may be but it will be a chance for them to get back on track on both sides of the ball, fix the mistakes and execute consistently for 60 minutes on every play. The Rebels have to be focused and play the way everyone knows they really are capable of playing.

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What To Expect

One thing for sure this team will come out fired up for gameday and the early morning kickoff against the Golden Flashes. We can also expect the Ole Miss players to be playing with a chip on their shoulder. On offense we can expect to see Phil Longo open up Jordan Ta’amu, the NWO and the Rebels running game with Scottie Phillips. Rebels fans can also expect to see more of freshmen RBs Isaiah Woullard and Tylan Knight. We can also expect to see the Ole Miss offense pick up the pace against Kent State.

Despite having the 127th defense in the nation we should be expecting to see vast improvement this week from the Rebels. Luckily the Rebels are playing out of conference and against a much weaker opponent. However, defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff and the defense has the most to prove in this game despite it being Kent State. Luke and McGriff are running out of time when it comes to shoring up the holes in the defense before SEC play gets ramped up. We can expect to see a much better defense on the field tomorrow.

Always Expect More

Right now there a lot of Rebels fans who are afraid to set their expectations too high and its easily understandable. However, as a fan base we should always expect more. Being average is not what we should want and definitely not what we should expect. Willingness to just be average is really no different from settling for mediocrity. Sadly if mediocrity is what you really expect as a fan base then that is usually what you get. Some Rebels fans want more and expect more.

This is not just college football, this is the Southeastern Conference and the Rebels are in the toughest division, the SEC West. This is big time college football and there are some very tough games on the Rebels schedule. Just because we tanked against Bama doesn’t mean we can’t still have a great season. Last season we also watched the same result from the Bama game and Matt Luke still managed a 6-6 season and a big 31-28 Egg Bowl win over No14 Miss State.

Right now some Rebels fans would be happy with another 6-6 season and based on what we saw tis past Saturday that is also understandable but that isn’t the attitude we as fans should have. We as fans should expect more. Why? Its simple really. Coach Matt Luke and his staff and this Rebels football team, every player on it, wants more from this season than just 6-6. For any fan to want less than what the team wants is just not very fanatic plain and simple.

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In Closing…Be Positive

Some Rebels fans have been critical of this coaching staff which is expected. However, being critical is part of college football and Rebels fans aren’t alone at this point in the season. Fans of almost every SEC team has some concerns and worries but at this point in the season they still have high expectations. No team in the SEC wants to be average or mediocre and despite the issues they face they still want to be the best. Ole Miss fans should have higher expectations and also want to be the best. Hotty Toddy!

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