What’s the temperature like for Ole Miss following last week’s bye? We analyze several areas where the Rebels are hot or cold.

PIPING HOT

Ole Miss’ recruiting is hotter than ever after earning a commitment from former Alabama commit Leo Lewis last week to bolster a budding 2015 recruiting class. Lewis is the sixth ESPN 300 prospect to commit to Ole Miss for next year, and at No. 40 on ESPN’s list Lewis is the Rebels’ top prospect at this point in time. The Rebels have been a recruiting machine since head coach Hugh Freeze took over the program in 2012, and Lewis’ commitment is no exception. Bye weeks are typically a time for programs to focus on recruiting during the season, and it appears Ole Miss capitalized on its week off in that regard.

STILL STEAMING

They’re hardly ever talked about, but the Rebels specialists have exceeded expectations so far in 2014. Place kicker Andrew Fletcher is a perfect 2-for-2 on field goals and a perfect 18-for-18 on extra points this year, relieving Rebels’ fans of any concerns regarding the kicking game. Likewise, punter Will Gleeson, who had never played a single game of American football before this year, has starred in altering the field position battle in Ole Miss’ games this season. Gleeson has only been called upon to boot seven punts, but has averaged better than 42 yards per punt this year, landing 5 punts inside the 20 yard line without a single touchback. Both Fletcher and Gleeson have been consistent and superb in their respective roles, and the special teams have held up its end of the bargain in Ole Miss’ 3-0 start to the year.

COOLING FAST

Located less than an hour apart from one another, Ole Miss and Memphis should be an intense regional rivalry firing up fans from both sides. However, after a five-year hiatus in the series, the rivalry has lost a lot of its luster. Memphis has shown promise this year, but remains a mid-major more concerned with basketball than football. Ole Miss, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the steadiest programs in the big, bad SEC, a sign the two teams are growing apart. Freeze even said in his weekly press conference on Monday the teams have been apart too long to call this game an intense rivalry game. The showdown in Oxford on Saturday should still be fun, but it won’t have the same feeling as some other regional rivalries from around the country.

COLD AS CAN BE

The hype surrounding Ole Miss has been virtually non-existent despite the Rebels’ rise in the polls each and every week. The top 10 Rebs are known better as an upcoming opponent for Alabama than as a national powerhouse themselves, which is odd considering the team’s high ranking. After three games against modest opponents and a week away from the field, most casual fans around the nation don’t know much about Ole Miss, which could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. Ole Miss knows Alabama will not look past it like most fans are, but the Rebels will still enter that game with something to prove. However, in a sport where the playoff field is chosen subjectively, the lack of hype surrounding Ole Miss could be a detriment unless it racks up some style points in SEC play.