2010 Football Preview: Ya'll vs. Us - A breakdown of 2010 opponents

Jacksonville State 49 Ole Miss 48: 

The old saying goes: “You win some and you lose some.” But that saying couldn’t have been referring to a Division I program losing to a Football Championship Subdivision opponent. Well, on the opening weekend of college football it did, and the Rebels were plastered onto the television screens of ESPN viewers for all the wrong reasons. Ole Miss led by 21 points at the half, but the Rebels’ defense – supposedly one of the top units in the country – couldn’t stop Jacksonville State’s spread-option attack in the second half. The Gamecocks put the game into overtime in the final seconds, and sealed the colossal upset on a two-point conversion in the second overtime.

Ole Miss 27 Tulane 13:

Jeremiah Masoli has only played two games for the Rebels and he’s already beginning to make plays like he did at Oregon. Twice during the Rebels’ victory over Tulane, the dual-threat quarterback rolled around the backfield before completing long passes to receiver Markeith Summers. Masoli and Summers were the positives, but for the second week in a row the Ole Miss defense allowed its opponent to get back in the game. Tulane quarterback Ryan Griffin completed passes at will in the third quarter, but the Rebels’ defense shut down the Green Wave’s attack in the final minutes of the game to squash a comeback. 

Sept. 18 Vanderbilt: 

The most prestigious academic institution in the Southeastern Conference finds itself at the bottom of the Southeastern Conference year in and year out. Even long-time coach Bobby Johnson couldn’t take the heat, retiring during the summer. New coach Robbie Caldwell is charged with raising Vanderbilt from the doldrums of the conference, something that Johnson never sniffed. Caldwell’s job won’t be easy, but he’s got a young offensive star to work with in tailback Warren Norman. As long as Norman can fully recover from off-season knee surgery, the sophomore shouldn’t have any problems being a productive weapon for the Commodores. Vanderbilt has never been a “sure win” for Ole Miss – just ask the 2008 version of the Rebels.

Sept. 25 Fresno State:

Fresno State isn’t exactly thought of as stalwart of a team, but coach Pat Hill’s promise to play “anybody, anytime, anywhere” is well respected among the college football ranks. And Hill’s motto brings him cross country to Oxford where the West Coast will do battle with the deep South. Ole Miss has to be thankful former Fresno State running back Ryan Matthews – now starting for the San Diego Chargers – is gone to the NFL. Matthews replacement, Robbie Rouse, rushed for 40 yards in the Bulldogs’ only game. 

Oct. 2 Kentucky: 

The Wildcats would rather be playing basketball right now, but there’s still a pretty darned good football team in Lexington. After a season-opening win over rival Lousiville, the Wildcats stomped another instate opponent in Western Kentucky to the tune of 63-28. Where’s all this firepower coming from? For starters, quarterback Mike Hartline has finally emerged as a true leader and solid signalcaller for the Kentucky. Then there are the skill players. Tailback Derrick Locke has speed to burn and utility player Randall Cobb makes plays from multiple positions. It should be a good year for first-year coach Joker Phillips. 

Oct. 16 Alabama: 

It’s easy to think that the Rebels might not have a shot in hell of taking down the mighty Crimson Tide, especially in Tuscaloosa. That assumption might be correct. The majority of Alabama’s highly-effective defense from a year is gone, but there’s still plenty of talent on the unit this season. On the flip side, coach Nick Saban has one of the top offenses in the SEC by virtue of a trio of stud tailbacks. Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram has yet to play a down because of injury, but sophomore phenom Trent Richardson and true freshman Eddie Lacy have more than adequate replacements. 

Oct. 23 Arkansas

The Razorbacks entered 2010 with high expectations. All-SEC quarterback Ryan Mallett and the junior receiving duo of Greg Childs and Joe Adams will give defenses nightmares all season. The defense has only given up 10 points in the first two weeks, but Tennessee Tech and Louisiana-Monroe are a far cry from what they will face from here out. With Georgia, Alabama and Auburn kicking off the Hogs SEC schedule, the Rebels will face either a contender or an exposed pretender Oct. 23 in Fayetteville. The Arkansas defense still needs improvement before they can top Alabama for a trip to the title game, so watch for a high-scoring affair when Nutt heads back to his old school.   

Oct. 30 Auburn

The Rebels get a home game to finish the run through the SEC “A’s”. Cam Newton has shown what all the high school and junior college hype was about in the first two weeks. The Rebels will have to be on their A game to even slow down the dual-threat quarterback. Ole Miss should be the Tigers toughest road game before they head to Tuscaloosa to end the season, and Auburn should be the Rebels toughest home test. Expect a defensive battle much like the one the Tigers won 17-14 in Starkville last week.  

Nov. 6 Louisiana-Lafayette

The Rebels get a break for Homecoming right in the middle of a brutal six-game SEC stretch. Sun Belt foes should never be a problem for any SEC team, but as we saw in week one, Nutt’s boys can’t afford to take a week off, no matter who is on the schedule. The Ragin’ Cajuns attempted 29 runs against Georgia week one for a total of 14 yards, so look for junior quarterback Chris Masson to try to move the ball through the air. The Rebels should give the Homecoming crowd a big win, unless they head to the Grove with the student section halfway through the third quarter like week one.  

Nov. 13 Tennessee

This game could decide a lot in the fight for a mid-range bowl in the SEC. The Volunteers’ program got Kiffined in the offseason as their coaching staff ditched Rocky Top for the glitz, glamour and probation of USC. If they can’t improve from the 48-13 whipping they took from Oregon at home last week, this could be a long season in Knoxville. Junior running back Tauren Poole has put up All-SEC numbers through the first two weeks and is averaging almost seven yards a carry. Expect the Volunteers to improve a lot by November and the 100,000-plus crowd to give them a chance to end the season with five-straight wins.  

Nov. 20 LSU

The Tigers have looked solid in wins over a suspension-ridden North Carolina and SEC doormat Vanderbilt. They’ll have to look good against much better teams, though, if Les Miles wants to be coaching at LSU next season. The one-two running back punch of Stevan Ridley and Russell Shepard should give the Tigers a chance in most games this season, and the loudest crowd in college football makes a trip to Baton Rouge a nightmare for any team. Walking out of Death Valley with a win is nothing new to Houston Nutt, though. Look for the winner of this one to head to a traditional New Year’s bowl, while the loser will pack their bags for Shreveport, Atlanta or Memphis.  

Nov. 27 Miss. State

The Bulldogs defense will keep them in almost every game this season, but the inexperience of the offense and the coaching staff will likely mean a lot of close losses from a very tough schedule. Without a few major upsets, MSU will come to Oxford looking for bowl eligibility. Dual quarterbacks Tyler Russell and Chris Relf will mix things up, but don’t expect the spread option to dumbfound Tyrone Nix’s defense two seasons in a row. The Bulldogs have their best team in a decade, but a downright cruel schedule will likely mean they’ll need an Egg Bowl victory to get to a bowl.