Mullen is aggressive in running the QB, but that's about it. QB draw on 3rd and long, running back up the middle on 1st down after a big play, and playing it safe before the half were staples of Mullen's time in Starkville. Moorhead appears to favor passing quite a bit more, so you're probably right we won't see our QB run as much, but he appears to be more creative and innovative in his offensive design and playcalling. Not to sound ungrateful for everything Mullen did for us, but I think the change in offensive approach will be a breath of fresh air.

Rumor is we were going to match UF's offer at 6 mil. Better long term NC prospects and change of scenery is likely all there was to it.

SDS, you gonna amend this piece to say that he re-committed? Pretend he didn't and just leave it? Or are you going to just remove the story and pretend you never ran it like you did the one about our "junior" OT entering the NFL draft who was actually a senior? You know, like you would have known if you'd done an instant's worth of research instead of jumping at the chance to run something negative about MSU? This site is such an unprofessional, biased joke.

AD's typically lose their jobs when their program gets charged with lack of institutional control. Not to mention this is Bjork's 3rd stop where his program came under NCAA scrutiny while he was at the helm.

It's all ok though, since they have a "good Christian man" in Hugh Freeze running the program. He'll set it straight. No, in reality, it just shows what a farce that whole religion act is.

I can understand that, although it's still not quite accurate because we didn't "start" some of our best players last year because of Mullen's boneheaded tendency to "start" upperclassmen over more talented younger guys. We do undoubtedly have a few huge holes to fill on defense, but I'm hoping what should be a much better scheme on that side will make up for the losses.

A guy who was the Heisman front runner for several weeks and ended up finishing 8th is good but not not good enough. That sure makes some sense. And a team that was #1 in the country for five straight weeks and finished #11 starts next season unranked because of a bowl loss in which it didn't have a defensive coordinator? That one doesn't really hold water either, at least not in my opinion.

Not saying it can't happen by any means, but you're confident about beating us after only being able to put 7 points on the same LSU defense that we scored almost at will on?

I think the gap at receiver between the two is closer than it appears. State throws the ball far less than Ole Miss, so that's not a reliable comparison. State doesn't have anyone quite on Treadwell's level, but De'Runnya Wilson isn't far behind, and may have the higher ceiling when you consider he was primarily a basketball player in high school and is only in his third year of playing organized football. I don't think Ole Miss has anyone as good as Jameon Lewis, and I think Fred Ross, Fred Brown, and Robert Johnson would all be pretty high in Ole Miss's rotation based on talent and the eye test. And while I agree that Ole Miss has the superior secondary, State's isn't as bad as the numbers indicate. The numbers are heavily influenced by giving up a ton of yards to UAB while playing a run-stopping scheme and rotating in a lot of backups, and playing Texas A&M, who's going to put up a lot of yards on anyone. People are going to realize that State's secondary isn't nearly the weakness it's made out to be as the season goes on.

The majority of Bo's "lighting up" starts behind the line of scrimmage. He's a good fit for Freeze's system and has and will continue to put up good numbers, but if I need a QB who can make good, smart throws down field consistently and pick up tough yards on the ground, Bo is way down the list.

...and o-line. Their o-line was getting blown up for 3 quarters by a MWC team that is a shell of its former self. 71 rushing yards. That's pathetic for an SEC team. They're lucky Boise wore down and they could exploit the Treadwell mismatch; it won't be that easy in SEC games. And I'm not sold their defense is all that great either. 399 yards given up? To a small conference team with an undersized o-line and no playmakers? I've heard their fans say that doesn't mean anything because Boise ran 80+ plays, but all that tells me is that they couldn't get off the field. No, this is the most overrated team in the SEC this year. Great talent in a lot of places, but a questionable QB, a poor overall o-line, and poor depth. It's a matter of WHEN they'll get exposed, not if.

Great article! Just one correction; this will only be Geoff Collins' second season as full defensive coordinator. He was co-defensive coordinator during 2011-2012 without much control.

The numbers and experience seem to suggest that.

Aww, you 'Bama fans just have it so hard, what with all those 5* star recruits, 10+ win seasons, and national championships. Loyal fans of perennial underdogs who struggle to bring in SEC-caliber players and barely make bowl games couldn't possibly know your pain and suffering.

Does the ranking take into account their potential to get dismantled by the NCAA within a year or two?

I must have missed something. What did Ole Miss do to be ranked again?