It’s hard to ignore Ole Miss after the team upset Alabama and rolled to a 7-0 start last season. Plus, the roster includes four potential first-round picks.

RELATED: Best-case scenario — Rebels stay ranked, compete for SEC West title

But some think the Rebels could be fool’s gold. The team did close the ’14 season by finishing 2-4, and despite a heap of significant injuries, that stretch unveiled some genuine concerns.

The team’s enigma feel continues when one considers how dominant the Landshark defense performed last season, carrying a carcass of an offense that coach Hugh Freeze is supposed to have humming.

Ole Miss enters the fall with a pretty big range of realistic outcomes for the 2015 season. Will the team go like Breaking Bad, or capitalize on its desperate, win-now mentality?

WHAT THE MAGAZINES ARE SAYING

ESPN: “Last season was historic for the Rebels. … With 16 starters back, spirits are high in the Grove, but coach Hugh Freeze must replace three-year starting QB Bo Wallace and make two trips to the state of Alabama.”

Lindy’s Sports: “Ole Miss lost two of its last three games in part because of injuries, but also because opposing defenses beat up the offensive line and shut down the running game. Ole Miss has to make dramatic improvements on the line and at running back.”

Athlon Sports: “This may be Freeze’s last chance to do something big with the vaunted 2013 signing class. … The defensive line is strong, and if the corners play as well as expected, Ole Miss will again be a factor in the SEC West.”

The Sporting News: “With players like Treadwell, Tunsil, Engram, Nkemdiche and Conner, the Rebels’ top end talent is the equal of other SEC contenders. Two major questions dog Ole Miss: depth and quarterback.”

Phil Steele: “[Ole Miss avoids] Georgia, Tennessee and Missouri out of the SEC East. Four of my 9 sets of power ratings call for their first [double-digit] win season in 12 years and they are a threat to get to their first SEC Title game.”

BEST PLAYERS

  • WR Laquon Treadwell
  • OT Laremy Tunsil
  • TE Evan Engram
  • DT Robert Nkemdiche
  • DE Marquis Haynes
  • DB Tony Conner

WHAT WE LEARNED

  • The Rebels lost 179 tackles and 15.5 tackles for loss at linebacker with the departures of Deterrian Shackelford, Serderius Bryant and Keith Lewis, according to ESPN. Former defensive end C.J. Johnson has rotated to middle linebacker as a senior, and Denzel Nkemdiche excels in coverage at just 5-foot-11, 212 pounds. There’s some concern about the team’s run defense, which got fleeced toward the end of last season.
  • According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, Ole Miss will be a heavy favorite in six games, a slight favorite in five games and a heavy underdog in one game (at Alabama).
  • This stat-encased tidbit from Athlon Sports was interesting: “Freeze helped the lightly recruited Bo Wallace become a three-year starter and tie Eli Manning with 24 career wins.” This season will test Freeze’s coaching ability at the quarterback position, and it’s imperative he turns the starter into an asset. Chad Kelly has more buzz and at least on paper more talent than Ryan Buchanan, but didn’t have the best spring, much like Alabama transfer Jacob Coker ahead of the 2014 season.
  • According to The Sporting News, no Ole Miss quarterback has thrown fewer than 10 interceptions since Eli Manning in 2003. The starting quarterback may not be good enough to take full advantage of an outstanding group of pass-catchers, but that should be OK if he takes better care of the football than the departed Bo Wallace.
  • There isn’t any consensus on where Ole Miss will finish in the SEC West. We listed that as fourth place below, but it varies by publication. ESPN slotted the Rebels third in the division, while Lindy’s Sports (sixth), Athlon Sports (third), The Sporting News (fifth) and Phil Steele (fourth) all disagreed.

BIGGEST AGREEMENT

This Rebels team will be a thrill to watch. Every publication referenced the team’s top-end talent in some fashion, and Ole Miss could produce four early-entry first-round picks in the 2016 NFL draft. That’s not to mention Evan Engram, who could be the best tight end in the SEC, and some other very good players scattered about the defense and receiving corps.

Whether you’re a fan of the Rebels, an NFL draft junkie or just someone who appreciates elite performers, this version of Ole Miss is worth watching.

BIGGEST DISAGREEMENT

Just as there isn’t a consensus among the publications as to where Ole Miss will finish in the West Division, the media lacks a consensus regarding the team’s most problematic area.

Quarterback generally is seen as the team’s biggest area of concern, but the team’s run defense and the lack of a dominant running game are perceived as weaknesses as well.

In my opinion, the 2015 Ole Miss season hinges on the play of the offensive line first and foremost. The team’s defense was good enough to win an SEC championship last season.

Wallace threw too many interceptions and didn’t always make great decisions — in part because he was under too much pressure. The backfield lacks a scary every-down player, but would’ve performed much better if the line hadn’t allowed so much penetration.

The offensive line quietly gave up 89 tackles for loss last year, 13th in the conference.

There’s reason for optimism, starting with a healthy potential first-round pick at left tackle. Overall, the offensive line suffered more than its share of injuries last season. The group returns 112 total starts as one of the most experienced, cohesive units in the country.

The play of this group is worth watching very, very closely.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Biggest Remaining Question: Who will start at quarterback?
Consensus Projection: 4th place, SEC West
Impact Newcomers: CB Tony Bridges, G Javon Patterson