Ole Miss: Can Rebels Continue Rise in 2015?

When media, coaches, and players assembled in Birmingham, Alabama for the 2015 SEC Media Days, the media predicted the winner of the SEC Championship as well as divisional winners. The top four finishers in both the SEC East and West have been covered so far in this series.

Georgia (166), Auburn (108) and Alabama (92) ran away with the first place division votes. Tennessee (36) was far behind, but also fairly well ahead of most of the other teams in the SEC. The next closest team was Missouri (20). After Missouri, no team received more than 10 first place division votes (LSU). Arkansas (6) leads the rest of the SEC teams, though none of them are viewed as serious threats to win their division by the media. South Carolina (1) leads the bottom four of the SEC East, though three teams each received only one first place vote.

While Ole Miss (3) received less first place votes than Texas A&M (4), more voters still predicted the Rebels would finish ahead of the Aggies. The media seems certain that Alabama or Auburn will win the SEC West, while they have no idea where the rest of the teams will finish. It is a common sentiment, as all seven SEC West teams are projected to be bowl eligible by season’s end.

More from Ole Miss Rebels

After debuting at #4 in the first ever College Football Playoff Poll, Ole Miss fell into a downward spiral. They lost to Auburn in what was essentially a national semifinal, came out flat against Arkansas (and got demolished), and squandered a New Year’s Six Bowl Game by getting thrashed by TCU. The lone highlight to end 2014 was beating in-state rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl and ruining the playoff hopes of their nemesis.

Entering 2015, Ole Miss is loaded with future NFL talent. The biggest concern for many, though, is the quarterback position. “Good Bo” is gone, and that leaves some uncertainty for the Rebels’ offense. “Bad Bo” is gone too, though, reminding Rebel fans there was never much certainty to begin with.

Can a quarterback emerge and guide the Rebels to Atlanta in 2015? Or will the historic 2013 signing class head to the NFL without ever having played for an SEC Championship?

What Needs to go Right . . .

Just like many of the teams in this series, The University of Mississippi must first find a quarterback before the rest of this section may become a reality. Chad Kelly appears to be the favorite, but the Ole Miss staff insists it is still a three-man race at quarterback. Whichever quarterback emerges, they must play more consistent for the Rebels to have a shot at making a trip to Atlanta in 2015. The offensive line must also take a step forward. The good news here is they cannot be worse, as the Rebels did not lose any significant lineman from a year ago. An extra year of film study and weight room training should help this unit make an impact in 2015. While no irreplaceable pieces were lost offensively (a stacked WR group softens the loss of Vince Sanders), the defense must replace two All-Americans from the secondary. Coaches feel confident in the players replacing them, though the senior leadership Senquez

Nov 8, 2014; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Laquon Treadwell (1) comes onto the playing field to support the team during his injury status during the game against the Presbyterian Blue Hose at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mississippi defeated Presbyterian, 48-0. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

Golson and Cody Prewitt provided will certainly be missed. Finally, the Rebels must pull some upsets in the SEC West. There will be no shortage of opportunities as Ole Miss will travel to Alabama and Auburn. With Clemson pulling out of a previously agreed to home and away for 2015-2016, Ole Miss should walk through the out of conference portion of their schedule. Only Memphis poses a real threat. In order for Ole Miss to get to Atlanta, though, they must stay healthy. The Rebels do not get their bye until week 11.

What Could go Wrong . . .

If the quarterback situation remains unsettled after the first two weeks of the season, Ole Miss could be in trouble. Ole Miss travels to Tuscaloosa in week 3 and no one ever wants to visit Alabama with uncertainty at quarterback. If the Rebels drop this game, they will still be in contention. It is unlikely that any SEC West team makes it out unscathed this year. Making it through their last 5 games (Texas A&M, @ Auburn, Arkansas, LSU, @MSU) with a loss already on the record would make it infinitely tougher to have a shot at making it to Atlanta, however. Everyone must play a brutal schedule in the SEC West, though, so what else could go wrong? If offensive line cannot open a running game for Ole Miss, the Rebels will have trouble breaking in a new starter at quarterback. They will also have trouble keeping that quarterback healthy. There is also the 2013 class. If Ole Miss takes an early loss and the rising juniors lose focus and ponder their NFL future instead, Ole Miss could be in for a long season. While Hugh Freeze has turned this program around, they cannot expect to compete for the SEC West if Robert Nkemdiche, Laremy Tunsil, Laquon Treadwell, Evan Engram, and others are not contributing at a high level. Tunsil and Treadwell, as well as Denzel Nkemdiche, all have leg injuries they are making comebacks from. If their progress is slow, the Rebels chances of winning the SEC West diminish by the week.

Worth Considering . . .

It is not often that a team loses two All-Americans from the same secondary. It is even less often that coaches feel like they may have even upgraded the talent level at those positions. Listening to Rebel coaches will certainly give you that impression, however.

Live Feed

Red Flags: 5 college football teams on upset alert in Week 4 /

FanSided

Ole Miss Football: How Ole Miss can upset Alabama in top 15 matchupOle Hotty Toddy

Ole Miss vs. Alabama Prediction, Odds, Trends and Key Players for College Football Week 4Betsided

College Football Week 4 Picks Against the Spread for Every Top 25 GameBetsided

Ole Miss Football: Jaxson Dart has a career day against Georgia TechOle Hotty Toddy

College Football Week 4 Preview: What's Wrong with Alabama? Betsided

Ole Miss is being mentioned with Ohio State as potentially having the most draft picks in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Ohio State is expected to trounce its B1G 1(1) competition; Ole Miss was picked to finish 5^th in its division. The SEC may have gone two years without a National Championship, but the depth of this league has no equal.

Bleacher Report analysts Michael Felder and Barrett Sallee both have Ole Miss going 10-2 and making a New Year’s Six Game. While it would be an improvement, they think both of those losses come from the SEC West. If that is the case, Hugh Freeze and Co. may not be satisfied with 10-2. It would be a good season, definitely, but likely would not be enough to get them to Atlanta.

More from Southbound and Down

Home/Ole Miss Rebels