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Ole Miss can never fully recover from the damage.
The Rebels didn’t recover Hunter Henry’s blind over-the-shoulder lateral. And they didn’t recover from the charity hop that Alex Collins scooped before racing for a first down.
So any realistic title hopes they had Saturday were swept away by one fluky, perhaps illegal, play.
RELATED: Video of controversial lateral; Hugh Freeze comments
The Rebels now have little chance at playing in their first SEC championship game — they were West co-champs in 2003 with Eli Manning. And little chance at winning their first SEC championship since 1963 — before Archie Manning.
“Extremely difficult to look those young men in the eyes in there (in the locker room),” Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. “A very difficult way to end the game. I hurt for our kids, our coaches, our fans and our administration. There’s no way around it. It’s very difficult and gut-wrenching and will test everything about you.”
That’s the fallout from Saturday’s 53-52 loss to Arkansas in overtime.
Realistic opportunities to win the SEC West don’t occur very often other than in Tuscaloosa, Baton Rouge or Auburn. Not in November.
Ole Miss was very much alive. With a triumph over Arkansas, the Rebels would have won the division if they followed with victories over LSU and Mississippi State. Tough, but well within the realm of possibility — after all, Ole Miss did beat Alabama.
Why did Ole Miss lose to the Razorbacks?
Arkansas scored 45 points in regulation. Brandon Allen threw for 442 yards and 6 touchdowns. The Razorbacks had 605 yards total offense.
With Allen trapped on the first try for a winning, 2-point conversion, Ole Miss defender Marquis Haynes grabbed Allen’s facemark, giving the Razorbacks the one more chance it needed to win.
We could go on. The list is so-so-souie long.
But didn’t it really come down to one play — the backward Hail Mary that allowed Arkansas to convert fourth-and-25 in overtime?
Give Henry credit for making a smart play to keep the ball alive. But blame Ole Miss defenders for not recovering the bouncing ball or tackling Collins before he crossed all the way across the field from Henry to pick up the critical first down.
Can the Rebels (7-3, 4-2 SEC) bounce back, albeit with a division title highly unlikely?
After a week off to regroup, they play at home against LSU. Then it’s over to Starkville for the Egg Bowl. A trip to Florida may be at stake in what shapes up as a battle for not only bragging rights, but bowl position.
There’s a slight chance the Rebels still could win the East by winning their two remaining SEC games. But they’d have to win out and Alabama and LSU would each have to lose.
A good sign: In 2003, they finished also finished 10-3, beat Alabama and lost a non-conference game to Memphis.
On the other hand, if they lose their last two games, the Rebels would turn what seemed like a remarkable season into a disappointment.
The Rebels should be motivated. This season is likely the last at Ole Miss for WR star Laquon Treadwell and Robert Nkemdiche.
After losing control of their own destiny in a quest for an elusive conference title, the Rebels don’t want to fumble away a season that included a victory at Alabama.
