Over the course of the next several weeks, the SoBros Network crew will be going team-by-team through the SEC, previewing the 2018 American tackle football season. Up next, the Ole Miss Rebels!
2018 Ole Miss Preview
When I made it to the Ole Miss Rebels in my stack of SEC season previews to write, I thought I’d reach out to noted friend of the brand and our favorite Ole Miss fan, WKRN’s Brent Remadna, for his thoughts on the 2018 Rebels squad.
As the Ole Miss Rebels enter year two of a postseason ban, they once again will lean heavily on Coach Matt Luke and the rest of the coaching staff for inspiration. With a 6-6 record last year, the Rebs surprised many with a never-give-up attitude despite the blow from the NCAA.
This year they will once again rely heavily on Jordan Ta’amu and everyone’s favorite NastyWideOuts, or NWO, a group made up of at least three soon-to-be NFL draft picks in A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf and DaMarkus Lodge. If you want excitement and big plays that will most certainly make the SportsCenter top 10, these are the guys to watch.
While the offense will most certainly be the strong point, defense will be a question mark. Ole Miss had one of the worst defenses in the nation this year. If that changes, watch out because the little respect the Rebs are getting in the preseason could quickly change. My prediction for the Rebs this year is 7-5. This is a team that needs a few more recruiting classes to build depth, but when they do, watch out.
Thanks for doing my job for me, Brent.
But, I tend to agree with his assessment of this team. Brown is going to be an absolute stud, and should re-establish himself as the best receiver in the SEC. This offense is going to be electric, and they have a schedule loaded with manageable defenses (aside from the Alabama schools and a trip to LSU). For that reason alone, I think this team could surprise some people.
They need to get better talent on defense in Oxford, and Brent’s right, that may take a few recruiting classes. But, they do have a couple of stout defensive tackles in Benito Jones and Josiah Coatney that could provide some beef in the middle. If they can stop the run, and get the offense more possessions, who knows? This could be a pretty good football team.
2018 Rebels Schedule
Saturday, 9/1: vs. Texas Tech (in Houston) – Would anyone be surprised to see this game surpass 100 points? Nah, this one’s going to be a fun shootout, and I like the Rebels.
Saturday, 9/8: vs. Southern Illinois – Everyone has to get their tune-up game in. Ole Miss is no different.
Saturday, 9/15: vs. Alabama – The Crimson Tide are light years ahead of the Rebels, and Matt Luke does not have Nick Saban’s number the way Hugh Freeze did. Now, I will say – Alabama has had trouble with dynamic quarterbacks in the past. Ole Miss does possess that key ingredient, but I don’t see them beating ‘Bama.
Saturday, 9/22: vs. Kent State – Another game that should be a relatively easy win.
Saturday, 9/29: @ LSU – I’m not sold on Coach O down in the bayou. I think they’re going to have a good defense, but that offense has a lot of question marks. They’re more talented than Ole Miss, and right now, that seems like the tiebreaker, but I would not be surprised to see the Rebels steal one here.
Saturday, 10/6: vs. ULM – This schedule shapes up nicely for Ole Miss…big game, cupcake, big game, cupcake, etc. etc.. This game should bring Ole Miss to 4-2.
Saturday, 10/13: @ Arkansas – I think the Razorbacks are going to be the worst team in the SEC this year. I don’t care if it’s a road game, this should be a win for Ole Miss.
Saturday, 10/20: vs. Auburn – They get their three biggest games at home this season, but I just don’t think they have the tools to beat Alabama or Auburn this year.
Saturday, 10/27: BYE
Saturday, 11/3: vs. South Carolina – The Gamecocks are one of the more interesting teams in the SEC this season. They should be pretty good behind quarterback Jake Bentley and wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Ultimately, I don’t think the Rebels have an answer for those two.
Saturday, 11/10: @ Texas A&M – This is a winnable game for Ole Miss, but it’s on the road, and I think the Aggies will be a little bit better than we’re expecting. We’ll see if Jimbo Fisher continues the annual tradition of the Aggies crumbling in November.
Saturday, 11/17: @ Vanderbilt – The Commodores have the makeup to surprise some people this year, but their defense was atrocious last year. Like….”worst in SEC history” bad. Unless they can improve there, this is going to be a long day for them in Nashville.
Thursday, 11/22: vs. Mississippi State – One of the most heated rivalries in college football, the Egg Bowl has been can’t-miss television in recent years. This year’s game will be different, but I don’t expect it to be any less entertaining. If anything, the two offenses involved will make it more entertaining. It sure looks like it has shootout potential. While the Bulldogs would be the favorites at this point, you just never know in these rivalry games.
Prediction
The biggest thing holding the Rebels back is the division they play in. You don’t get much time to rebuild in the SEC West, and that gap is wide from Ole Miss to Alabama. But, this offense is poised to be one of the best in the SEC. So, if you can get any semblance of a decent defense on the field, you’re going to be in games! They have five locks on their schedule in my opinion, and five more that are winnable games. I think they probably surprise a couple of teams (LSU, Texas A&M – looking at you), and they’ve proven the old cliche that you throw out the records in the Egg Bowl. This Ole Miss team could end up being a real wild card in the SEC, but I think their floor is six wins.
Other 2018 SEC Previews
Alabama Crimson Tide
Arkansas Razorbacks
Auburn Tigers
Florida Gators
Georgia Bulldogs
Kentucky Wildcats
LSU Tigers
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Missouri Tigers
Ole Miss Rebels
South Carolina Gamecocks
Tennessee Volunteers
Texas A&M Aggies
Vanderbilt Commodores
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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