Published June 9, 2011 - 5:16am
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Saturday Down South will be doing a schedule analysis for every SEC team for 2011. Some teams have a gauntlet of a schedule while others have a much weaker schedule set up for success.
Ole Miss Rebels
Out of Conference Schedule:
Sept. 3 – BYU (Mountain West)
Sept. 10 – Southern Illinois (Missouri Valley)
Oct. 1 – @ Fresno State (Western Athletic)
Nov. 12 – Louisiana Tech (Sun Belt)
SEC Road Schedule:
Sept. 17 – Vanderbilt
Oct. 29 – Auburn
Nov. 5 – Kentucky
Nov. 26 – Mississippi State
SEC Home Schedule:
Sept. 24 – Georgia
Oct. 15 – Alabama
Oct. 22 – Arkansas
Nov. 19 – LSU
Bye Week:
Oct. 8 – After Fresno State, before Alabama
No Doubt Out of Conference:
The no doubt out of conference game that will not be another Jacksonville State is Southern Illinois. The Missouri Valley Conference members were just 5-6 overall last year in 2010, and they have to travel to Oxford. The Rebels will dominate this game.
Toughest Out of Conference:
The toughest out of conference matchup for the Rebels is the BYU Stormin’ Mormons. They have a young and talented quarterback by the name of Jake Heaps, and please remember that name. Heaps played in all 13 games and threw for 2,316 yards and 15 touchdowns. This will be a tough, tough matchup for the Rebels, but maybe they can get enough offense going to score with the Cougars.
Will Be a Battle:
Even though in-state foe Mississippi State has won the Egg Bowl since Dan Mullen’s tenure, don’t think Houston Nutt and the Rebels will just lay down for them in 2011. This game is always a good battle and matchup. Everything will be left out on the field when the Rebels travel to StarkVegas.
Most Hyped Game Prime For A Blowout:
Ole Miss will likely be 2-1 overall and 1-0 in conference entering the game against the Georgia Bulldogs, which is in Oxford. Fans will be saying how the offense is thriving under Randall Mackey, and the Georgia Bulldogs will be square in their bulls eye. However, the Bulldogs will bring an explosive offense to the Grove and will dominate the entire game; thus, ending in a blowout in favor of the Dawgs.
Trap Game:
I’m not sure there is a trap game on the schedule unless you are favored to win most of your games. Ole Miss is not in that situation, and they will likely be underdogs in just about every game they play this upcoming season. If there is a trap game on the schedule, it will be Louisiana Tech before the big game when the Rebels host the LSU Tigers.
Fans Likely To Take A Monday Sick Day:
No doubt the biggest game of the year – and every year for that matter – is the Egg Bowl. No matter if the game is in Oxford or on the road in StarkVegas, Ole Miss always circles this game on the calendar. They even have signs in their locker room about the upcoming game. They want this one bad, and so do the fans. Oxford will be a party zone if the Egg Bowl Trophy comes back to the Grove.
Overall Impression:
Ole Miss has two tough out of conference games in BYU and traveling to Fresno State in California. That’s a tough trip, and they will be playing a notorious giant-killer in the Fresno State Bulldogs. The rotating SEC East schedule is not as bad this year, with games against the two weakest teams in Vanderbilt and Kentucky. However, the SEC West is nasty this year, and Ole Miss will be lucky to keep up with the big three, even their arch rival Mississippi State.
I defintiely feel pretty sorry for the Rebels. They play in a rough conference and somebody’s got to be on the bottom. Personally, I only see the Rebels winning one game this year again, Vandy. I’d like to say they’d get KY, however, thats the 2nd of 2 road games, and it’s coming off of Auburn. Going to be another rough year for the Rebels.
Looking at this schedule, my overall impression is that Ole Miss has little chance of a winning season.
As a state fan I have been where Ole miss fans are now( the years of the doom of Croom) but chin up there is to much talent in the state of Mississippi for the Rebs to stay down long. I think they get better just give them a little time.