After starting last season 7-0, Ole Miss faltered down the stretch, losing four of its last six and finishing just short of a 10-win season.

The good news? The Rebels return a stacked defense and won’t have to worry about whether they’ll get “Good Bo” or “Bad Bo” on any given Saturday this fall. They’ll get no Bo at all, as the team prepares to transition to a new quarterback after three years of Bo Wallace at the helm.

But does getting rid of that frustrating inconsistency under center and replacing it with a relative unknown make Ole Miss a better team this season? Is it enough to push the Rebels to the top of the SEC West if they get things right at the position?

Much of that may have to do with what lies ahead on the schedule. Let’s take a look:

FAVORABLE MATCHUPS

The 2015 schedule has some definite built-in wins. The opener against Tennessee-Martin is a glorified exhibition game, with the Rebels likely clearing the bench early. Considering there’s a chance the quarterback competition is still ongoing, it may not be a bad spot for a warm-up game. Fresno State could provide a little stiffer competition in Week 2, but the probability of a 2-0 start heading into the Alabama game is very high. After several years of given the Rebels fits, Vanderbilt was very beatable last season. New Mexico State offers a mid-season respite before things get tough in late October.

  • vs. Tennessee-Martin, Sept. 5
  • vs. Fresno State, Sept. 12
  • vs. Vanderbilt, Sept. 26
  • vs. New Mexico State, Oct. 10

BIGGEST GAMES

There’s an argument to be made for any of the SEC West opponents as Ole Miss’ “biggest games.” Each divisional game could be a difference-maker in a tight race. The 2014 win over Alabama was huge for the Rebels, and a Week 3 meeting in Tuscaloosa likely will set a tone for this season. Last season’s loss to Auburn was a back-breaker, we can expect Ole Miss to be hungry to exact revenge. LSU put an end to the 7-0 start a year ago, and the Rebels/Tigers game usually is a good one. After capturing last season’s Egg Bowl at home, the Rebels will have to travel into hostile territory to try to retain control of the trophy.

  • at Alabama, Sept. 19
  • at Auburn, Oct. 31
  • vs. LSU, Nov. 21
  • at Mississippi State, Nov. 28

ROUGH PATCH

Aside from playing Alabama on Sept. 19, the first half of the Ole Miss schedule is manageable. A trip to The Swamp is sandwiched between home games against Vanderbilt and New Mexico State. But thanks to a late bye week, the Rebels will play their eighth, ninth and 10th consecutive games of the season in the heart of the SEC schedule. That stretch begins with a visit from Texas A&M, which fell 35-20 to Ole Miss last season, but finishes with games against teams that the Rebels lost to last season (Auburn 35-31 and Arkansas 30-0). Ole Miss fans should cross their fingers in hopes that the Rebels don’t stumble into that Week 11 bye.

  • vs. Texas A&M, Oct. 24
  • at Auburn, Oct. 31
  • vs. Arkansas, Nov. 7

TOUGHEST TILT

Make no mistake about it, Alabama is angry and the Crimson Tide does have Sept. 19 circled on the calendar. In what turned out to be the defending SEC champion’s only regular-season loss of the season, Ole Miss shocked Alabama with a 23-17 upset win at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium last October. This year, the Rebels must travel into hostile territory in Week 3 in what may be their toughest test of the season. If Ole Miss is able to leave Tuscaloosa with a win, it could set up the Rebels as the early favorites to win the SEC West.

SEASON-DEFINING STRETCH

  • Nov. 7 – Nov. 28

Last season’s late-year swoon is sure to be on the minds of Ole Miss players and coaches alike, with the goal of keeping history from repeating itself. Following a Week 11 bye, the Rebels will close their season with three conference games that could define whether this year is a success or a failure. Ole Miss hosts Arkansas and LSU, which held the Rebels to a combined seven points in the two losses last season, and finishes with its traditional meeting with Mississippi State to end the season. Anything less than two wins over that stretch will be a disappointment.