We are finally getting to spend our Saturday’s flipping channels to skim all the great games that are televised. If you’re in Oxford, this means you’ll probably spend a good portion of your Saturdays tailgating while waiting to enter Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
The NCAAF odds in Vegas state that the Rebels will win five games this season. Rather, they set the OVER/UNDER on their season wins at five games. Two years ago this line was set at 5.5, and the Rebels went OVER with their six-win season. Last year it was set at six, and they won five. So, what is in store for us Ole Miss fans in 2019?
Improved Defense
Although the line has gone backward a half-game since last season, I don’t see why the Rebels won’t get at least six wins again. The addition of Lakia Henry out of DGCC (Dodge City Community College) will help to anchor the linebacker corps. The JUCO transfer racked up 180 tackles over his two years in JC and many recruiters rate him as the best JUCO ILB. Henry is set to take one of the starting inside linebacker slots.
Another new face is Sam Williams. This young man logged 17.5 sacks last year and put up six tackles at the Grove Bowl. The 251-pound, 6’3 student-athlete is rated as the #7 JUCO prospect. He has the ability to get off the edge and cause havoc in Mike MacIntyre’s new 3-4 scheme.
Qaadir Shepard, Donta Evans, and MoMo Sanogo are all back. So, there is a strong core of experienced players returning. Speaking of experience, there is a handful of defensive linemen who’ll be transferring to OLB positions. This adds a ton of rotatable depth in the middle of the field. The Ole Miss D should be a bit harder at its center this season, which could lead to a couple more victories.
Mixing it Up
We already mentioned Mike MacIntyre. But in Matt Luke’s third year, he is trying to shake it up and breathe new life into the system. On top of the McIntyre hire, he also brought in Rich Rodriguez as the new OC. Rodriguez most recently was the Head Coach of the Arizona Wildcats, but he was also the head honcho at Michigan and West Virginia before. His, fast-flying spread offense is now a part of the system here in Oxford. Some pundits might think this to be an experiment akin to a Frankenstein-Program, hastily chopped up and put back together. But it could work. Like I stated above, there is no reason why the Rebs should be any worse.
Ole Miss has a long road ahead. Along with Vanderbilt, they are currently at the bottom of the SEC, but that doesn’t mean they are a terrible team. The SEC is as deep and competitive as it has ever been and competing in this conference is tough. If the Rebels can win half their games, that’s decent. If they can win seven, heck, that’s a win.
As far as a bowl game is concerned, the Rebels are not in any of the Bowl projections at the moment. That said, if they hit six wins, they just might get one. If they get seven wins, they’ll surely go bowling.
