Todd’s Take is a new feature on the Ole Miss Blog authored by none other than former Jackson Prep Patriot Todd Wade. You may also recognize Wade as a former Ole Miss and NFL offensive lineman. After retiring from the NFL, Wade returned to Oxford where he’s become a vocal leader of the Rebellion, a master children’s storyteller, and an entrepreneur extraordinaire.

You can now add “College Football Analyst” to Todd’s list of talents.

Through a stroke of dumb luck (on my part) Todd has graciously agreed to add a little intelligence to the blog. As an ex-player, Wade offers a unique perspective that you can’t find anywhere else. It’s a real treat to have him on the blog.

Here’s Todd’s Take on what it will take for Ole Miss to prevail against Alabama:

The new Ole Miss Mascot – the Rebel Black Bear – is already making an impact. Here he’s seen completely blindsiding Alabama’s Greg McElroy.

Said McElroy: “I never saw Rebel the Black Bear coming.”

Neither did anybody else, Greg. Neither did anybody else.

You can’t tame Rebel the Black Bear. (Pic courtesy of Ken Edwards – master of the fark.)

We’re counting up the Top 10 Ways Ole Miss Could Beat Alabama, and we’ve reached No. 7.

7. Jeremiah Masoli has his official Ole Miss coming out party.

Masoli had a slow start to the season. In the well-documented opening stretch he threw a few ill-advised passes and while he busted a few big runs, he didn’t exactly dominate any games. However, against Kentucky it appeared as though Masoli had a new confidence. He looked like a guy that new the offense and new what to expect from the players around him. The mistakes disappeared. After that game both Masoli and Houston Nutt said it was time to open things up.

Ole Miss is about to play its sixth game of the season. Masoli had an open date to solidify his grasp of the offense. It’s time. There’s no more excuses. If Ole Miss is going to beat Alabama on Saturday, it’s going to need to be led to victory by this guy:

We’re counting down the Top 10 ways Ole Miss could beat Alabama, and we’re up to No. 6 (Yes, I realize I’m actually counting UP to No. 10, so I guess countdown is a misnomer – Let’s not get too technical). The sixth way Ole Miss could beat the Tide weighs about 155 pounds soaking wet. That’s right:

No. 6 – Jesse Grandy scoring a touchdown on special teams.

Jesse Grandy is as fast as he is diminutive. The little guy can flat out fly. But he’s so small, he looks like one solid SEC hit could break him in half. From all appearances, Grandy’s size only makes him harder to tackle. Not only that, but you have to catch him to hit him. Though he struggled fielding punts early, Grandy flipped the switch against Fresno State, returning a punt for a touchdown. He returned another for 73 yards against Kentucky the next week. Grandy seems to have found his “zone,” and that’s a good thing for the Rebels.

Ignore the South Carolina game. Offensive points are going to be hard to come by against Alabama and if Ole Miss wants a chance to walk away a winner, it’s going to need to score in other ways. A 150-pound stick of dynamite running a punt back for a touchdown is one such way. That’s why Jesse Grandy has the No. 6 spot on the countdown all to himself.  If Alabama out-kicks its coverage, watch out.

FACEBOOK: Drop by the Facebook Page and click the “Like” button for updates and to join our weekly Pick ‘Em contest. Though I appreciate comments on the blog, the Facebook page is really the best way to interact. It’s like a message board without the hassles. Stop by and give it a try.

NEW FEATURES: Jake’s Ole Miss Blog has a couple exciting new features coming up over the next couple days. Be sure to check back Thursday and Friday. It should be fun.

POWE: Jake’s Ole Miss Blog would like to extend a letter of apology to Nick Saban, Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson and Greg McElroy on behalf of Jerrell Powe and the entire Ole Miss defense. Jerrell Powe does not actually think you were exposed last Saturday. Actually, he does, but he doesn’t know what exposed means. I understand that YOU might interpret it to mean that Powe thinks South Carolina demonstrated you’re no good. I can see how you might think that. Most people would. But please understand, Powe was only repeating something he heard somebody else say on SportsCenter. He had no idea what it meant. He just likes the sound of the word “exposed.” Seriously. To demonstrate let me tell you about a part of the same interview you didn’t hear.

REPORTER: Jerrell, what’s your favorite thing to eat the night before a game?

POWE: To tell you the truth, I think Wendy’s is pretty good. I love to eat double stacks. I ate there for lunch. It was so good. Wendy’s got exposed.

REPORTER: Uh-huh. Um. How is your relationship with Tyrone Nix?

POWE: Aw man. I love Nix. He’s so passionate. I try to play really hard for him. He’s such a great coach. He’s my man. He gets exposed all the time.

You see? Again, we here at Jake’s Ole Miss Blog apologize for the confusion, and would be delighted if you could see it in your hearts to look at Powe’s comments for what they were. Seeing as how this was just a big misunderstanding (literally, a misunderstanding) , we’d be much obliged if you’d take the article showing Powe’s misuse of the word “exposed” off of your locker room bulletin board. Thanks. No hard feelings. See you in a couple days.

We’re working our way down the Top 10 Ways Ole Miss Could Beat Alabama. Here’s a quick review:

1. Alabama could be in for a huge letdown (that was foolishly presuming the Tide beat South Carolina).

2. Stop the running game and put the game in the hands of Greg McElroy (See USC 35, Alabama 21, attached as Exhibit A).

3. Win the turnover battle.

4. This one was going to be “Greg McElroy has to lose his first game as a starter eventually,” but Spurrier pulled that rug out from under me.

That brings us to No. 5 on the Countdown of the Top 10 Ways Ole Miss Could Beat Alabama:

5. Play all four quarters.

It sounds cliche’ but it couldn’t be more true.

Ole Miss has had no trouble getting leads this year. Putting opponents away is the problem. The entire team needs to be prepared to play at the highest level of intensity the entire game. On offense, it starts with coaches calling smart plays and putting players in position to be successful and filters down to each of the players executing at a lights-out level on every play – from the offensive line to the receivers to the quarterback. No mistakes, and don’t take your foot off the gas. That’s how South Carolina beat Bama, and it’ll take that same level of intensity for Ole Miss to pull the upset on Saturday. Maybe more.

Defensively, the Rebels have the ability to stuff the run, but they need to be prepared to do it on EVERY play. I emphasize EVERY because the Rebels are notorious for blowing an assignment on 3rd or 4th and short that goes for six, especially against the Tide. Every play boys. The Rebels aren’t going to shut out Alabama. Mistakes will be made and a touchdown or three will be scored. But the defense will have to get over it and come back for another stop all the way through the end of the game. If the defense can hold Alabama to four touchdowns or less, the Rebels have a chance.

You Want More? Gray Hardison from The Belly of the Beast is funnier than me and a better writer. So it was a no-brainer asking him to write a guest post for Alabama week. The only surprising part was when he said “yes”. Here’s Gray on Ole Miss-Alabama:

8-47-2 DOESN’T STINK LIKE TO IT USED TO

Growing up an Ole Miss fan, I learned several truths that always applied to every Rebel team no matter who coached the team or played for it.  One, Vanderbilt will never roll over and die when playing Ole Miss.  Two, Ole Miss defensive backs will never turn around to play the ball as it gets close to the receiver.  And three, Ole Miss will never beat Alabama.

When these harsh rules were first explained to me, I tried to deny them, fully believing that each Ole Miss team was different and capable of breaking these and other chains that always pulled them down.  And, like all young people progressing from grade school through high school, I was an idiot.  I suppose you can chalk it up to the hope that lives in all youthful people before the real world sucks the life out of them by letting them know that, no, that’s not how things work around here.  Whatever the reason for my optimism, I was ultimately cured of believing such nonsense by regularly attending Ole Miss games since I was about 12.

It wasn’t until I was in high school (‘97-‘99) that Ole Miss finally started to field teams that could compete on the field each year with Alabama.  Billy Brewer had a couple of teams that played them well (19-14 loss in 1993, which technically was won a few years later by Ole Miss due to a forfeited victory by Alabama) and even beat them in 1988, which, until I finally saw the highlights of some years later, I always believed it was something Brewer and/or Ole Miss fans made up, but Brewer’s teams could never keep up on a year-to-year basis (note:  I didn’t really start paying attention to Ole Miss football until sometime around ‘90 or ‘91).

In these high school years, I was still dumb enough to believe that whatever the year, this was the year we were finally going to beat them.  In 1997, I believed it all the way up until the moment John Avery was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for diving into the end zone while an Alabama player was two yards away from him.  Avery had just sprinted through Alabama’s kickoff coverage team and kept Ole Miss alive in the game.  The penalty forced the Rebels to go for one instead of two, and they eventually lost 29-20.

I was in Tuscaloosa the following year as I watched a Noel Mazzone offense destroy a Crimson Tide defense between the 10-yard lines (as Noel Mazzone offenses are want to do).  The Rebels got inside the Alabama 10-yard line eight times and scored only 17 points, missing four field goals and lost 20-17 in overtime.  One year later I saw Shaun Alexander run for 214 yards and beat Ole Miss 30-24, and it was an Ole Miss team that would lose four games by a total of 15 points.

But in 2001, sandwiched between a 45-7 loss in 2000 and a 42-7 loss in 2002, Ole Miss did it.  Aided by Mike DuBose’s terrible 2000 team, Dennis Frachione and the arm of Eli Manning, the Rebels finally did something I thought I’d never live to see and they beat Alabama 27-24.  I remember being about as happy as I’d ever been in my life up until that point (sad?  Yes, but screw you).  For days, months, hell, even now, I still can’t believe it happened.  It had become the curse of curses and it was finally broken.  We even beat them again in 2003 and badly 43-28.

Since then, the Rebels have not beaten Alabama.  Eli Manning’s graduation, David Cutcliffe’s horrendous recruiting efforts, the Ed Orgeron disaster and the arrival of Nick Saban have created a new streak of victories for the Tide.  Although in this latest string of losses, Ole Miss has remained competitive, losing four of the six games by four points or less (and all six games by an average of about nine points a game).  But what I’ve discovered in this latest round of losses is that the Alabama game doesn’t mean what it used to mean to me.  Don’t get me wrong, I HATE losing to them, repeat, HATE IT WITH EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING, but this game no longer represents something Ole Miss cannot do.  We’ve beaten them before and will hopefully do so again (at least in the next decade or ten).  This game now represents beating one of the big guys that 82% of the time has beaten us (and often with great ferocity).  And, of course, there’s the whole keeping the dream of going to Atlanta alive, which is the new curse of curses (meaning:  WE ARE NEVER GOING TO ATLANTA.  EVER.).

On Saturday, I will make my sixth trip to Tuscaloosa to watch Ole Miss play there.  The five previous trips have all been horrible losses.  Two overtime games, two games in which Ole Miss lost by 38 and 35 points, respectively, and a game that featured Michael Spurlock and Ethan Flatt at quarterback.  Barring the sports gods deciding to have a little fun at the expense of Alabama fans who are already on DEFCON 3 meltdown alert, Ole Miss will not win.  In fact, we’ll probably get blown out.  But when I leave the stadium early (and you better believe that a blowout combined with an 8 PM kickoff that my ass is leaving early), I won’t be walking out with a sense of hopelessness and the urge to projectile vomit.  I’ll be walking out with the urge to just projectile vomit.

Just a few days ago I said Alabama may be one of the best college football teams ever. Wrong! I was ready to hand Alabama the national title after it annihilated Florida. Turns out Alabama can be beaten. Oh yeah, and Florida is not a good football team! Here’s the rundown:

Alabama: On offense, if if and if you can stop running backs Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, the Tide is only as good as Greg McElroy, which is still pretty good, but beatable. The Alabama defense has weaknesses that can be exposed. The key is to keep them off balance. In case the loss wasn’t enough to prove Alabama may not be the indestructible superhumans we all thought, Florida’s humiliating loss to the Mad Hatter, and Arkansas’s narrow escape of a dismal Texas A&M, drove the point home even further.

Auburn: It’s only a matter of time until Chizik’s luck runs out. The Tigers escaped Kentucky. Narrowly. But for a porous defense, the Rebels would have beaten the Wildcats by three touchdowns.

Arkansas: Overrated. Hit Mallet hard and often and he quickly loses effectiveness. Texas A&M will not go to a bowl game this year and has a lame duck head coach and they nearly pulled the upset. Beatable.

LSU: I called it. The Tigers win again! Before you get too impressed, Florida stinks. Still, LSU is undefeated. It cannot last. It will not last. But it may last. The Tigers have a really good defense. I think we all know that you can win with defense. The key will be Les Miles. How? Not even Miles knows the answer to that one.

Mississippi State: The Bulldogs got their must win from a depleted Houston. At 4-2, bowl eligibility is realistic. Maybe. After UAB, where’s the sixth win going to come from? Florida, Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas and Ole Miss remain.

Ole Miss: I don’t know about you, but I’ve still got nothing but questions. However, after this crazy weekend, a few future opponents seem less daunting.

Vanderbilt: Eastern Michigan must be really really bad.

Tennessee: Oh. My. Gosh. These guys are terrible. How in the world did it ever get that bad in Knoxville? This is the school where Peyton Manning played for crying out loud! Your stadium seats over 100,000 people! How many of those same people who were screaming for Phil Fulmer’s head two years ago wish he was back? I’d like to see those poll results.

South Carolina: Spurrier’s got himself a really good football team. And the old man’s still got it. Masterful. Simply masterful. But the Gamecocks still have to prove they can do it week to week. This team did lose to Auburn after all. Don’t book hotel rooms in Atlanta just yet.

Florida: On Urban Meyer, a little Top Gun, if I may: “He’s holding on too tight. He’s lost the edge.” That’s sure what it looks like out there. If I was a Florida fan I’d be super concerned. Urban’s not the same guy since his weird health-related retirement, and Florida’s not the same team. The Gators have the top recruiting class every year and already have two SEC losses. Super concerned.

Georgia: Oh what a difference A.J. Green makes. If the Bulldogs win every game from here on out will this be “Facing the Giants, Part II”? Short answer: No. Nobody gets arrested in that movie. Still, if Richt can win games impressively in the second half of the season and do so with a freshman quarterback, he builds his case to be back next year. Can you really fire a guy for having a bad year with a freshman quarterback and no star receiver in the first five games?

Kentucky: Ole Miss can take some pleasure in knowing the Wildcats weren’t a complete pushover for Auburn. Makes the win seem a little more significant. The Wildcats may win a game they’re not supposed to. Mississippi State better hope they’re not the victims.

I’ve enjoyed the Pick ‘Em contest the last couple weeks. My favorite part is the Monday exaltation. It’s fun to say really great things about people, even if they may or may not be true. Would you like to be exalted on the World Wide Web? Well, this is your chance. Tens upon ten’s of people read my Ole Miss Blog each day and you could be the lucky one to be exalted this Monday. All you gotta do is visit the Jake’s Ole Miss Blog Facebook Page and click the “Like” button. Make your picks, and if you’re lucky, you’ll be the next feature on the Monday Exaltation.

There’s no Ole Miss game to pick this week, but we have a couple doozie’s in Alabama-South Carolina and LSU-Florida. So go on, visit the Ole Miss Blog Facebook Page and predict the final score of those two games. The winner get’s exalted.

I’m picking all the games. If you want to go toe-to-toe with me on all of them, bring it on.

Now, on with the picks:

Alabama 24, South Carolina 20 (Alabama -7). This score look familiar? It’s the final score of the Alabama-Arkansas game from a couple weeks ago. The Gamecocks have a tough defense, and they’ll be ready to play on Saturday. The difference in this game with be Greg McElroy. If he performs, the Tide wins. It’s simply too hard to shut down those two stud running backs of Bama and defend the pass. The Tide will win another SEC thriller. Steve Spurrier will make that weird witnessing-a car-wreck grimace of his about 237 times.

LSU 21, Florida 20 (Florida -6 1/2).Yep. I’m picking an upset. LSU’s defense is awesome. Les Miles is the luckiest man on earth, and Florida just doesn’t impress me. The Mad Hatter wins again. Meanwhile, cajuns everywhere bash their heads into the nearest concrete wall at the thought of Les Miles in 2011. And celebrate. And then bash their heads into the wall some more.

Arkansas 34, Texas A&M 31 (Arkansas -6). This’ll be a close one. The Aggies have a quarterback who is fun to watch. Too fun. If he can actually avoid taking big risks, the Aggies might do something crazy and knock off Petrino’s Hogs.

Georgia 28, Tennessee 10 (Georgia -11 1/2). I’m picking the Bulldogs simply because I can’t see them losing FIVE games in a row. That, and the Vols suck.

Auburn 42, Kentucky 21 (Auburn -6 1/2). The Wildcats don’t have much of a defense. Auburn has a better defense than Ole Miss. Kentucky won’t be able to keep it close.

Mississippi State 24, Houston 17 (MSU -5 1/2). This is a MUST win for the Bulldogs if they want to enjoy bowl eligibility. With Houston on its third quarterback and without its top receiver, it should be easy. But given State’s offensive struggles, it probably won’t be.

Eastern Michigan 21, Vanderbilt 20 (Vanderbilt -25 1/2). The Commodores are terrible. Plus, they beat Ole Miss. Losing to Eastern Michigan will just make it worse. Thanks Dores.

Ten days separate Ole Miss from facing perhaps the best football team it’s ever played. While the Rebels suffered through a weak opening first half of the schedule, and finally perhaps maybe possibly started pulling things together against Fresno State and Kentucky, Nick Saban’s undefeated Crimson Tide has taken down Penn State, Arkansas and Florida. For the most part, each of the wins came in impressive fashion. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is going to publicly say Ole Miss has a chance to beat the Tide. Until now. With no small amount of fear and trepidation, today I begin what will be the topic between now and next Saturday: Top 10 Ways Ole Miss Could Beat Alabama.

And no, I’m not trying to be funny. Counting down ten different ways the Rebels could beat a team that has won 18 straight games and a BCS Championship is a little bit like Noah building an Ark in the middle of a drought. They all laughed at him, and I’m sure a few of you will laugh at me. But I’m going to give it a go. Not because I’ve received any divine revelation from the Heavenly Father, but because coming up with ten ways the team that lost to Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt could actually take down one of the best college football teams ever has got to be without a doubt the ultimate sports writer’s challenge. And I do love a good challenge. So, here we go.

Top 10 Ways Ole Miss Could Beat Alabama

1. Alabama could have a huge letdown.

Before facing Ole Miss, the Crimson Tide will have played Penn State, Arkansas, Florida and South Carolina. Those three Southeastern Conference games are in consecutive weeks. Sure, Penn State ain’t great, but they’re still Paterno’s Penn State. Bama got up for them and spent some emotional chips on the game, even if it was a blowout. After an off-week against Duke, they played Arkansas in a nail-biter, faced Florida in what was deemed a great rematch and a possible sneak-peak at the SEC Championship game, and this week they must get up for a South Carolina team that some (few, but some) think has a chance to beat the Tide. Alabama should be physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted after this stretch of games. Any team would be.

Enter an Ole Miss team that though it did win it’s last two games, is obviously struggling defensively, lost two embarrassing games, and hasn’t beaten Alabama in Tuscaloosa since 1988. It’s easy to see a team as good as Alabama letting it’s guard down against Ole Miss. With a few lucky breaks, and a lot of points, the Rebels could sneak up on the Tide.

I’ll be voting for the Land Shark, and I’m actually excited about seeing it on the field. Having attended all the home games I’ve been there for a few (fewer than we’d like) “fins up” moments this year. I’ve heard the sound guys incorporate a little Jaws music on 3rd and 4th and long situations. I can envision the Land Shark character inciting the crowd and running around in front of the student section doing a “fins up” hand motion. Likewise, I could see the Land Shark helping the crowd at Tad Smith celebrate a feeding frenzy when the basketball teams goes on a 10-0 run. It’s also original. Ole Miss would be the only school with a shark on the field. Instead of “hook ‘em horns” Rebel fans will have “fins up”. The fact that “fins up” and the name started organically on the field by the late Tony Fein is pretty cool, too.I think it works. I can get behind it. I’m going with the Land Shark.

For those of you stuck on the Colonel Rebel and refusing the participate in the vote, more power to you. But as far as I can tell there’s going to be a new on-the-field mascot. The process has come too far and school leaders have withstood too much heat to get to this point to turn back now. I hope at least some of you will jump on board the Land Shark train.

Lastly, I hope we can all agree not to raise the stakes too high over what fuzzy costume in on the field. Ole Miss is a school we all love. No matter what mascot is on the field, the Ole Miss Rebels will be out there trying to beat No. 1 ranked Alabama next Saturday. It’ll be David vs. Goliath. The Rebels vs. the Tide. Good vs. Evil. We’ll all be sitting on the edge of our couches screaming at the television, imploring the Rebels to do the impossible. We will, because we love Ole Miss.

Most of us have loved Ole Miss our whole lives. Our parents and grandparents graduated from there. Our Mom’s and Dad’s took us to games. We grew up playing in the Grove back when you could actually park your car in it. When we got older, we were lucky enough to graduate from there. I met my wife on a fine summer night in Oxford. We still celebrate our anniversary there nearly every year. Now, I take my children to Ole Miss games. I usher them down the long sidewalks underneath the big Oak trees through the sea of red and blue of the Grove on Saturday’s. There’s not a more beautiful college campus in a more picturesque town in this world, or a better place to watch a game. And that’s what we all have in Oxford, Mississippi. It’s ours. It always will be. Let’s not get too divided over a mascot.

I hope everyone who can, will participate in the vote. And of course, I hope you vote for the Land Shark.

1. A hundred years ago, nobody thought there’d ever be a vaccine for polio.
2. Rockets really can fly to the moon.
3. The stomach bug.
4. Greg “Eddie Haskell” McElroy’s luck may finally run out.
5. Good things happen to those who wait. Ole Miss has been waiting for a win in Tuscaloosa since 1988, and that’s a pretty long wait.
6. The microwave.
7. Cars that run on water.
8. The Ole Miss secondary is spending an hour a day with Tony Robbins.
9. The SEC referees scheduled to call the game against Ole Miss were given free tickets to Disney World on October 16.
10. The deal Nick Saban made with the Devil expires October 15th.

BEING LES MILES: Just what was Les Miles thinking Saturday, as he watched his coaching career implode? Gray Hardison takes you inside the mind of Les Miles.

Ole Miss 42, Kentucky 35: The Rebels are starting to get it together offensively, but still need help learning how to cover assignments and for that matter, receivers, on defense. Figure that one out and the Rebels may win another few SEC games.

LSU 16, Tennessee 14: Leave it to Les Miles to figure out how to lose his job and win at the same time. Derek Dooley is getting a pass for being in his first year, but having 13 men on the field is just as bad.

Georgia 27, Colorado 29: Mark Richt is the nicest guy to ever be fired from Georgia. I hate it for him, but the Bulldogs can’t recover from 1-4. Only that guy from Facing the Giants could get out of this one. Wait a minute…wasn’t Richt in that movie?

Alabama 31, Florida 6: If Bama can be beaten, it won’t be by a slow white guy trying to run up the middle. You’d think the great Urban Meyer was smart enough to know that.

Vanderbilt 21, Connecticut 40: This loss only further solidifies how disgusting it is to have lost to what will eventually be a 2-10 football team.

Auburn 52, Louisiana Monroe 3: Auburn can beat bad teams really bad. Not much else.

Mississippi State 49, Alcorn State 16: What we really learned happened out in Colorado: State’s win over Georgia probably wasn’t as much of an accomplishment as first thought.

Monday Exaltation: Ken Edwards won the Pick ‘Em contest, nailing the Ole Miss score 42-31 and picking Alabama over Florida. Edwards can sing better than James Taylor, write better than John Grisham and knows more about college football than his brother. Which is huge, because his brother is BCS guru Brad Edwards from ESPN. Brad actually hates football and only took the job at ESPN so he could be on TV. Ken’s the brain behind Brad. So, it’s no wonder Ken won this week’s Pick ‘Em contest. It’s really not fair that I let Ken enter the contest. Nobody ever had a chance. Among Ken’s other claims to fame: He was the first Ole Miss student to ever take his shirt off and paint himself red for an Ole Miss game. There are pictures at an Abner’s near you to prove it. Way to go, Ken.

Jeremiah Masoli wasn’t an instant-magic-fix when he transferred to Ole Miss in August, and we (okay, okay, me) were foolish to think he would be. Four weeks and a NCAA denial turned approval would have stopped even the headiest of quarterbacks from being ready to play in early September. But five games into the season, the former Rose Bowl quarterback finally looks to be in command of the offense, and with the new confidence, Masoli’s obvious talent is starting to shine through. He’s starting to resemble that guy who led Oregon to a Pac-10 title.

Sure, looking strictly at yardage, Masoli’s numbers were pedestrian yesterday. He had less than 140 yards in total offense – that’s rushing and passing. Those aren’t Gerard Robinson numbers. They’re more like Jordan Jefferson numbers – far from spectacular. Masoli completed only nine passes, but three of those were touchdowns. And a few others were brilliant. One pass in particular, the 30 yard pass to Melvin Harris  thrown while toe-stepping around two oncoming Kentucky defenders, looked like something from a Michael Vick highlight. The Wildcat defenders were juked out of their cleats and Masoli used the split-second delay to throw a sharp pass across the field to Harris. Anyone who saw it caught a glimpse of Masoli’s impressive abilities.

And it was clear on each of his touchdown passes, Masoli was acutely aware of his receivers. Yep, it’s coming together for Jeremiah. He’s still wasn’t perfect, missing a couple timing throws to a sprinting Markeith Summers, but he’s getting there.

After the game, Masoli told one reporter the offense hasn’t yet reached its full potential. Houston Nutt chimed in that he expected to start really opening things up now that Masoli appears to have a firm grasp the offense. With a resurgent offensive line, a 100-yard rusher in Brandon Bolden, and the athletic feet of Masoli, the addition of Jeremiah’s zippy arm and a genuine knowledge of the playbook and surrounding cast, an opened up offense led by a magic Masoli could be enough to surprise quite a few people down the stretch.

Quite a few.

It’s alive!

The Ole Miss season is alive following a 42-35 win over the Kentucky Wildcats before an energized home crowd at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Following losses to Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt, many were ready to write the 2010 Rebels off, and for good reason. If you’d told me in August that Ole Miss would be 3-2 after the first five games and that the two losses would have been to J-State and Vanderbilt, I’d have called you crazy. The Rebels lost to the worst two teams on the schedule and turned around and beat the toughest two in Kentucky and Fresno State.

That’s a back-handed compliment.

Say what you will about old Houston Nutt, but he has once again shown why he gets paid the big bucks, pulling this group back from the brink. He kept his young team believing when the chips were down (way down) and figured out how to utilize his talent. That’s good coaching.

Whether it’s all coaching or just a team beginning to gel, it’s a new day in Oxford.

The Rebels have scored 97 points in two games and and in doing so they look almost unstoppable. It appears as though Nutt has cracked the code. The weapons are out there, he knows how to use them, and he has a quarterback who can make it happen. Don’t look now, but Ole Miss has a high-powered offense.

If only the same could be said for the defense.

On the bright side, the Ole Miss defense was responsible for three turnovers all of which were converted to touchdowns by the offense. Charles Sawyer had an interception (Rebels’ first of the year) and nearly took it all the way. The unit still can’t stop the pass, but it’s slowing it, and they are improving – slowly but surely.

Also improved was the home field advantage at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Just days after being challenged by ex-Ole Miss players Romaro Miller and Todd Wade, the home crowd responded. The Rebel fans were charged and on their feet for much of the game. There was a noticeable difference and the credit goes to Miller and Wade.

From the turf to the bleachers, on this warm fall afternoon, one could sense renewal at Ole Miss. After the game, as the players walked off the field through the tunnel underneath a student section that was still there and still cheering, I stood in the bleachers among the rest of the crowd, and couldn’t help but sense there’s reason to believe something could still happen for the Rebels this year. Something good.

PLAYMAKERS: Brandon Bolden had 108 yards on 23 carries. The tall, rangy Melvin Harris asserted himself at receiver with several big catches. Jeremiah Masoli didn’t have tremendous yardage, but he was a threat every time he had the ball. The guy just makes things happen and defenses must account for him. Jesse Grandy almost took another punt for six. Jeff Scott showed off his speed a couple times. Ole Miss has some weapons on offense and they were all on display. Will the offense continue to improve? If it does – watch out.

NOW WHAT? Now, we rest. The Rebels get a week off before beginning what many call a brutal stretch, which begins at Alabama. As I write this, the Tide is annihilating the Florida Gators. They are an amazing football team. And fierce. Perhaps unbeatable. Over the next week, many will say Ole Miss doesn’t have a chance against Alabama. But that’s what they said in 2008 leading up to a trip to Gainesville…

Brandon Bolden’s 71-yard romp to the end zone feels like an eternity ago. So much has happened this week. But thanks to a great win over Fresno State, some amazing leadership by Romaro Miller (no wonder he was a such great quarterback) and Todd Wade, there’s a positive energy flowing through Ole Miss on this beautiful fall morning that hasn’t been around in a long time. It’s not the type of energy that hinges on wins and losses either, not that we don’t all love wins. People are pumped up just to be Rebels, win or lose, and want to support Ole Miss and that’s what it should be all about.

One thing is for sure, there’s not going to be a better place on this earth to be tomorrow at 11:15 than Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The temperatures will be in the 70′s and the crowd will be rockin’, ready to bring home field advantage back to Ole Miss. At least, that’s the way I have it pictured in my head…

On to the predictions:

Kentucky has a dangerous combination in tailback Derrick Locke and wherever-the-ball-is Randall Cobb. Those two put up big numbers in the first three games of the season, but the teams they did it against were weak. Leave it to the Florida Gators to bring the Wildcats back to earth. That said, Kentucky is formidable and every bit as good as Fresno State and probably better. The Ole Miss defense is going to have its hands full. Word this morning is that cornerback Jeremy McGee may be able to play after-all, which will be helpful, especially with safety Johnny Brown injured. The Rebels’ much maligned secondary is going to depend heavily on the front seven to stop Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline before he can get started. That means the Ole Miss defense is going to need sacks, pressure and hurries and to control the line of scrimmage. If Ole Miss can do that, it could be a good day.

Offensively, the Rebels found themselves last week. They are Oregon. And why shouldn’t they be when they have Oregon’s quarterback? The zone-read with Masoli, Bolden and Jeff Scott could be special. Mix in a few key passes to the likes of Melvin Harris and Markeith Summers and the Ole Miss offense could be outright dynamic. It sure looked promising against Fresno State. But that was WAC. This is SEC ball, tomorrow. I still think it’ll work.

Ole Miss will win the turnover battle; Bolden will have another 100-yard day and the defense will continue to improve. Houston Nutt challenged the front seven to pressure the quarterback this week. I think they will respond in a big way.

Ole Miss 42, Kentucky 28.

Other predictions from around the SEC:

Alabama 34, Florida 21. I don’t believe in the Gators.

LSU 21, Tennessee 0. Les Miles continues to build job security against a terrible Tennessee team.

Georgia 42, Colorado 10. The Bulldogs will take their frustrations out on the Buffaloes.

MSU 55, Alcorn State 6. “Run with Relf!” I said. Turns out Dan Mullen reads the blog, too.

Connecticut 31, Vanderbilt 7. Caldwell and the Commodores will fall back to earth with a thud.

Auburn 38, Louisiana-Monroe 6. Cameron Newton will pile up more giant stats.

YOUR PREDICTIONS: Stop by the Ole Miss Blog Facebook page and make your predictions. Remember to click the “Like” button at the top of the page. This week, the contest is to pick the final score of Ole Miss – Kentucky and the winner of Alabama – Florida. The winner gets exalted on Jake’s Ole Miss Blog.

Former Ole Miss and NFL lineman Todd Wade is joining the fight with Romaro Miller to bring home field advantage and school pride back to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. He wrote a from-the-heart letter to Rebel fans, much like Romaro’s. I’m glad to publish it because I love Ole Miss, and in the end, that’s what Romaro and Wade’s movement is all about – love for the most wonderful University in the world. Without further ado here’s Wade’s response to Romaro Miller’s Vaught-Hemingway manifesto:

A LETTER FROM TODD WADE:

There is a deep rooted culture that exists on gamedays in the fall in Oxford.  Its a deep rooted culture that goes back longer than I’ve lived. Ole Miss fans are familiar with the slogan “We May Not Win Every Game But We Ain’t Ever Lost a Party?”  A friend and neighbor of mine came up with that fun and catchy slogan, but unfortunately too many of us embrace this mantra on Football Saturdays in Oxford.  The Grove has created a unique atmosphere for all who experience it.  It is something Ole Miss fans take a lot of pride in.  However, The Grove has been an achilles heel to a place called Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for a long time.  A former teammate of mine, Romaro Miller, just recently voiced his concerns about the lackluster gameday environment in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.  I completely agree.  Words can not express how influential fans, students and alumni can be to a team during a sporting event.  The Grove has created a unique atmosphere for all who experience it.  It is something Ole Miss fans take a lot of pride in.  But like Romaro, I think the event at The Grove has become the primary reason for gameday, instead of a place called Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.  After all, Isn’t this why we show up to show our undying support?

I’ve played football all of my life until two years ago.  I decided to hang it up and move back to Oxford.  Something had to replace the passion that I lost in the sport I loved to play so much.  So like all of you, I became a fan.  A serious one.  Since that time,  I have traveled to all of the away games and have been in Oxford for every single home game to support my beloved Rebels.  Becoming a diehard Rebel fan was good timing to say the least. In my first two years since leaving football, I have seen my alma mater make it to back to back Cotton Bowls and win both of them!  Its a remarkable feat considering that in the 26 games we played in the last two years we have won 18 of those with little to zero home field advantage.  Steve Spurrier brought his Gamecocks to Oxford in 2008 and left with a victory.   After the game Spurrier was asked if there were communication problems?  Spurrier implied that our crowd noise was not an issue and did nothing to affect his offense and its audibles.  Their game plan was completely intact for the entire 60 minutes. Romaro mentioned that Coach Cut said “Carry the Fight to the Opponent and Keep it there for 60 minutes.”  That is correct. Our young team must do this now, and so should we as Ole Miss fans.

It is our duty.

We are simply not entitled to bowl games.  I can promise you the guys on our team wish they could take a lot of things back and be 4-0 coming into this week…but they’re not.  They’re 2-2.   So what do you do about it as a fan besides complain?  Do we continue to look like we don’t care?  We need to ask ourselves “What can I do to help the situation and improve morale inside the Stadium?”  Something has to happen in your mind as you walk from the Grove to Vaught-Hemingway.  It is two seperate mindset entities.  When you leave the Great American Social Scene (which I enjoy) something must happen to turn the switch into becoming a FAN.  A loud one.  Win or lose.  Students, I encourage all of you to wear our school colors for the game.  Whatever is asked, please do it.  We need uniformity.  Guys, you have no excuse.  

So how to support our team in the stadium?  Stand up when the defense hits the field..  Do not tell someone standing in front of you to sit down.  Its a football game. Stand up with them, we are all in this together.   When our defense hits the field it is Imperative that you make “Continuous Noise” for each Defensive down including 4th down when they punt!   Don’t say one thing while our offense is out there!  Eat a hot dog!  It doesn’t matter.  Please remain quiet.  As a former offensive lineman who jumped offsides more than once in my career, I can promise you that crowd noise is detrimental to an opposing offense.  As Ole Miss fans we seem to have never gotten the memo to cheer on every single defensive down, not just 3rd.  As fans, if we can get an opposing offensive player to jump on 1st down then it becomes 1st and 15.  The opposing offensive coordinator has to go back to his playbook to find a certain play that fits what has now become very long yardage.  We have now just taken them out of their gameplan!  Please do yourself a favor and YouTube Jeremiah Masoli’s old stadium, Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.  There stadium is SMALLER than ours!  At 54,000, it is widely regarded as one of the loudest places to play in America.  What about Lane Stadium at Virginia Tech?  It was rated the number one home field advantage in all of college football in 2005 by Rivals.com. It is also ranked #2 on ESPN.com‘s “Top 10 Scariest Places To Play.”  Their stadium seats 66,000, about 5,000 more than ours.  While our Rebels work on the things they need to work on to improve their game, we must do the same as fans.  We need to improve our intensity!  Sacrifice just over 3 hours of your time on Gameday.  Lets change this lifeless culture in Vaught-Hemingway at Ole Miss.  As alumni and students we need to rally behind our teams win or lose.  For one, you will help our team by making it so deafly loud that the opposing offense will have a difficult time communicating.  Secondly, you will have much more fun!  Personally, I am ready to go to new heights at Ole Miss.  I want to do my part so that I can say I did everything I could have done to make our beloved Vaught-Hemingway Stadium one of the most intense and difficult places to play in the country.   

Lastly, I’ve talked with members of the team, alumni, students, and former players as well as people in the administration who feel strongly about our cause, The Rebellion.  I can assure you that the University will do everything in their power to improve the Vaught-Hemingway Gameday Experience.  We finally have people excited about getting on board for a good thing.  A New Tradition.  This staff is recruiting lights out right now (as high as 9th in the country) and we need to show them that we love Ole Miss.  I don’t feel that this metamorphosis can happen overnight.  Students will have to hold other students accountable and it will need a carry over effect.   I do feel this is a great opportunity, that if done correctly right now, will make us truly proud for years to come.  I’d love for our record to be perfect, just like the rest of you, and the timing could be better, but the time is now, Not next year. Now!  

Let’s get Home Field Advantage.
Hotty Toddy!

Todd M. Wade

Ole Miss gave up 390 yards passing to Fresno State last week. Luckily, Houston Nutt accepted his homework assignment from the Ole Miss Blog, watched the film from Oregon 2009 and had the read-option fired up and ready to go. As predicted (go ahead and pat my back), the Duck playbook ignited the offense in such a way that it was able to outscore the Bulldogs. The Rebels won with offense, and a few lucky breaks.

Unfortunately, there’s a tape going around more scandalous and horrible than any celebrity sex tape, and you can bet Kentucky coach Joker Phillips has been salivating over it all week. It shows play after play after play of opposing receivers running in open space with the closest Rebel defender about four yards off, catching passes uncontested and gaining yards in huge chunks. For an offensive coordinator, it must be better than porn. Don’t think Phillips hasn’t planned the game accordingly. Get ready for Air Kentucky. At least that’s what they hope to be called after the game on Saturday.

Making matters worse, experienced Ole Miss safety Johnny Brown and cornerback Jeremy McGee are out for Saturday. They’ll be replaced by Damien Jackson, a junior college transfer learning on the job, and freshmen Brishen Matthews and Frank Crawford. These guys will have the unenviable task of covering one Randall Cobb, an experienced gamer receiver who knows how to make people miss, get open and catch the ball. Without a doubt, he’s the strength of the Kentucky offense, and without a doubt, he’s going up against the soft underbelly of the Ole Miss defense. I doubt Tyrone Nix is sleeping much this week.

But there is good news.

Last week, the Ole Miss front seven came back from whatever planet they were on the first three games. They shut down the running game and rediscovered the narrow path to the quarterback. It wasn’t their best performance ever, but it was a good first step. If Powe, Cornell, Dorsey and the rest of the bunch can build off last week’s performance, there’s reason for hope. In order to stop Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline from repeatedly finding his favorite receiver, he’s going to need to see a lot of red jerseys coming at him from all angles all afternoon. If Ole Miss can’t get pressure, and I do mean significant pressure, Ole Miss may find itself in a scoring contest. Against an SEC defense, that would not be good. The Rebels’ fate depends on the front seven, and if that’s not enough pressure, the chances of having a winning season may rest on them, too. The formula is simple: Sacks + Hurries = Win. No Sacks + No Pressure = Loss.

I’m looking at you front seven.

ROMARO MILLER FOR HOTTY TODDY: I emailed Pete Boone supporting Romaro Miller for Hotty Toddy and am please to report that he took the time to respond. “Thanks Jake….That has been mentioned several times”. Sounds cryptic. Too cryptic. I’ll be looking for Romaro on the Jumbotron Saturday at the beginning of the game and at the beginning of the 3rd quarter.

Kentucky is an SEC team and not one to be taken lightly (I think Ole Miss learned it’s lesson on that one). That said, Florida exposed the Wildcats on Saturday, just when some were beginning to wonder if this may be Kentucky’s year. The Wildcats started off the season with a 23-16 win over now 1-2 Louisville, and wins over Western Kentucky and Akron. Florida was Kentucky’s first real test and after losing 48-14, the the Wildcats are reeling. Brian Rickerd of the State-Journal newspaper noted what appears to be locker-room dissension coming from the defense after giving up 466 yards to the Gators, 176 of those on the ground. Florida averaged 6.8 yards per play. It doesn’t take long to get down the football field at that rate. As a result, the Wildcats are looking for answers on defense.

If the new and improved Ole Miss offensive line can get its pads on the Kentucky defense, it looks like there’s a real opportunity for Masoli, Bolden and Scott to have another big day.

ROMARO’S REBEL PLEA: There’s been some good dialogue on the Ole Miss Blog Facebook page regarding former Ole Miss quarterback Romaro Miller’s letter imploring Ole Miss fans to buck up. One great comment was written by Oxford’s own Ken Edwards. Jake’s Ole Miss Blog loves good comments and wants to reward them whenever it can. Here’s Ken’s take on Romaro and Ole Miss fans:

Romaro’s message could not have come at a better time. I can assure you that the University is behind some serious change, as you saw in the online survey that went out today. That survey was started in motion weeks ago. Romaro’s plea, along with the vocal majority of diehard Rebs on the Spirit, nafoom, and Jake’s Blog, who are irate about the situation we, as fans, are letting happen right before our eyes, in OUR own stadium.

It is unacceptable for us to allow what’s happening this season in the bleachers of Vaught Hemingway to happen any more. The “We might not win every game, but we sure aint lost a party” crap is what has gotten us to this point. We are not talking about the Orgeron years here fellow Reb fans!!! We just came off of our first back-to-back January bowl births in 40 years and won them both. 

Many people argue, “Well we lost to Jacksonville State and Vandy…” Yeah I know, I was there, but are you kidding me?? This apathy in our stadium has been going on for decades. We are coming off the best two seasons at Ole Miss since before I, and most of you were born.

What happened in the bleachers (and on the field) that first home game was embarrassing. But most all of us, all the people who truly care about Ole Miss as a university and care for our football team, have had enough. I love winning. I love January bowl births. I want to compete year in and year out for Atlanta. 

If we fold as fans this weekend against Kentucky, and the rest of the home games this season (regardless of our outcomes), we can kiss all the momentum and progress our program has made goodbye. It will undoubtedly affect our recruiting, which is ranked number 9 in the country by the way. It will be a slap in the face of every player who has played on that field in the seasons just prior to this one too. They all fought to get our program to the level it has gotten to in the last two years and this team is gonna fight to keep it there. 

We must do our jobs, too. Lets show up. Wear RED. Be early in the stands. Be loud on every defensive down. Stand up and yell. When we win games in OUR stadium, we will never lose a party.

WINNER OF OLE MISS PICK ‘EM CONTEST: David Smith won last week’s contest. He picked Ole Miss to beat Fresno State 27-17 and he picked Alabama to beat Arkansas 24-20. David Smith obviously has an incredible mind for college football and is now the logical choice to replace Lee Corso on ESPN’s College Gameday. He has my vote. Congratulations, David. You may want to go out and buy a heavy jacket. I hear it’s cold up in Bristol. If you want to participate in this week’s Pick ‘Em contest be sure to stop by the Facebook page and click the “Like” button.

Former Ole Miss great Romaro Miller made an impassioned plea on the Ole Miss Spirit message board today for Rebel fans to stay for the entire game, cheer loudly, and become invested in their team, win or lose. He made some great points.

Being an Ole Miss fan isn’t about just being there for the victories. It’s about always being there. While the party in the Grove is fun, it’s also fun to invest yourself in your school. Investing yourself in your school means being there for the good times – and the bad. That’s what loving Ole Miss is all about. Whether you believe it or not, players feed off the energy created in the stands. But they also notice when the stands are empty. They notice when the crowd is lethargic and disappointed. And they notice when their fans have left the building. Leaving when the Grove seems more fun or because you think you should only cheer when Ole Miss wins is not being fan. Neither is sitting on your duff and scoffing at the team when the chips are down.

Being a fan means wanting the best for your team even when it’s not playing well. Being a fan means being heartbroken after Jacksonville State, but being there to see it and cheering your butt off on 4th and 15. Being a fan means suffering in the heat against Vanderbilt and imploring a very young defense to hang in there, even when it looks bleak. Being a fan is hoping Nutt and his boys will get the offense figured out and wanting to be there to see it happen. Being a fan is throwing your arms up in the air in jubilation when Brandon Bolden breaks a 71-yard touchdown run and high-fiving everybody within arm’s reach when Jesse Grandy takes it to house. Being a fan means wanting the opposing team to be intimidated by the volume of 60,000 screaming Rebels. Being a fan is about wanting Ole Miss to have the best chance to win you can give it and that means doing everything you can to help the team have a true home field advantage.

You’ve got to be there to make it happen, folks. I hope to see a packed out stadium in red on what promises to be a beautiful afternoon this Saturday. I also hope to see Romaro Miller on the Jumbotron at the beginning of the game AND at the beginning of the 3rd quarter, leading a frenzied Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in a raucous round of Hotty Toddy. If you’d like to see that too, share this post on Facebook. Tweet it. Email it to the school. Miller should be the guy to lead the “Rebellution” on Saturday, and he should receive a pat on the back for being invested in his school.

Kyle Veazey has a good read on Ole Miss running back Brandon Bolden in today’s Clarion Ledger. Bolden, who blew the doors off Fresno State Saturday, running for 228 yards, has never had more than 16 carries in a game. Here’s hoping he gets the ball at least 16 times per game from here on out. Running back by committee only works when you have a great committee. While Ole Miss has other talented backs, Bolden’s track record establishes that if Nutt insists on the committee approach, then Bolden should be the president. In four games, he has 410 yards rushing and four touchdowns. Add to that 107 yards receiving and another touchdown and it’s apparent that Bolden has accounted for nearly a third of the total offense this year. He can do more. Especially if the rejuvenated offensive line continues where it left off against Fresno State.

Great running backs get better when they get into a rhythm. Bolden hasn’t had many opportunities in his career to find that groove, but Saturday he showed what he can do when given the chance. After the game, Nutt confessed he was surprised by the performance, saying he never expected 228 yards from the junior running back.

Now that we’ve seen it, count me as one who’d like to see it again. Bolden said in Veazey’s story that it might take four or five carries in a row for him to get into a rhythm, but he was quick to say he was ready to do whatever his coaches said. In today’s world, that type of selfless attitude is refreshing. But maybe a little selfishness wouldn’t be so bad. If anybody has the right to be, it’s Bolden. He’s shown what he can do when given the opportunity. Allow me to be selfish for you, Brandon. Give Bolden the ball!

Have any of you ever sat within earshot of this guy at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium? For me it’s almost every game. And usually it’s a different guy. Here’s to you obnoxious drunk guy. Top 10 Ways to Tell if the Moron sitting next to you has been over served:

1. He laughs loudly during the national anthem and then sings it mockingly (If you’re sitting near this guy, you should either go ahead and move or get security. It’s a bad sign).

2. At halftime, he menacingly challenges all 200 people at the trough Ole Miss calls a urinal to “stand up and cheer, dammit,” with a wild-eyed crazy let’s-fight look, as though not standing up and cheering is equivalent to propositioning his wife, and every person at that urinal is guilty.

3. He yells Bradley Sowell’s name after every play, even when Ole Miss is playing defense.

4. At a completely inappropriate time he yells, “Are You Ready?” and then loudly answers himself, “Hell Yeah! Damned Right!” and then finishes the entire chant – all by himself – as loud as he can.

5. While cheering wildly he accidentally bumps into people walking to their seat. Every single person walking to their seat. The entire game. But don’t worry, he did apologize. Every time. The entire game.

6. He yells after every play as though he has a secret connection to Houston Nutt’s headphones and continues this the entire game – truly believing that Nutt might actually listen if he just yells it a little bit louder the next time.

7. He considers it his duty to be the R-rated version of Kirk Herbstreit, nevermind all the preschoolers and other children within easy earshot, and nevermind that nobody is listening – by choice.

8. Around the 3rd quarter, you begin to longingly look at the security text message sign, wondering if THIS might be the time to rat the loser out before realizing sign’s directions are completely unintelligible.

9. You begin to think of ways to convince your children not to repeat THOSE words to their kindergarten teacher on Monday.

10. He jumps up and down like a fat guy on crack imploringly yelling “move the damned ball!” and waiving his arms wildly, red and blue pom-pom’s in each hand, invoking images of Chris Farley.

Where was that the first three weeks of September? Ole Miss looked like a dangerous, explosive football team for most of Saturday night’s 55-38 win over Fresno State. Indeed, it didn’t even look like the same team out there. But it was, with just a few new wrinkles. The difference was that this team had been backed into a corner and the only way out was to swing and swing hard. The difference was Brandon Bolden exploding through the defensive line time and again, asserting himself as the man who should be the primary ball carrier from here on out. The difference was the defensive line dominating the line of scrimmage. The difference was the ball actually bouncing the Rebels’ way on a turnover. The difference was Jesse Grandy fielding a punt at midfield and taking it all the way to the house. The difference was Jeff Scott splitting two defenders on the outside and racing 55 yards for a touchdown – Grandy’s not the only Ole Miss player with track-star speed. The difference was the reemergence of Melvin Harris doing his best Plaxico Burress impression over the Bulldog defensive back in the end zone – where ya been Melvin? The difference was an offensive line that had been dogged for three weeks playing like it had something prove. The difference was Fresno State’s quarterback seeing lots of blue jerseys and getting to taste lots of that fake turf at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium courtesy of a resurgent, but not quite there yet, defense. This night was different in so many ways. Perhaps the biggest difference was just that big smile on so many faces as we drove that long drive home on a late, late Saturday night. We were tired. Man, were we tired, but it was worth it.

DEFENSIVELY: Yes, the Rebels gave up 390 yards through the air and that’s way too many, but you did get the sense, watching Ole Miss on this night, that the defense is getting closer. The front seven wreaked more havoc than it has all year and did effectively stymie the Fresno State running game. These guys are getting closer. The receivers are still too open, but there’s improvement back there. It all starts up front. If Powe and Laurent and the linebackers can keep ramping it up, this defense could still be good. They were good enough on this night.

LOCKETT: The bad news is obviously the loss of Kentrell Lockett. Losing the All-SEC defensive end hurts and he will be missed.

TOLD YOU SO: It’s my blog, so I’m going to have my moment. I’ve been preaching Brandon Bolden the last two years. Last night, he proved me right. While Scott and Davis should still get their carries, Bolden needs to be the dominant back. He’s big. He’s fast. And he hits the holes.

FOUR-HEADED MONSTER: Masoli, Scott, Bolden and Grandy all on the field at the same time. That’s a lot of speed and should make any defense nervous. If the offense can continue to execute there could be some more special games on the horizon this season.

IT’S FRESNO, SO WHAT? Fresno State’s a good football team. It’s certainly better than any other team Ole Miss has faced this year. So if nothing else this game was good for the psyche. The Rebels now know they really aren’t that bad. Next up is Kentucky. In losing badly to Florida, the Wildcats learned that they aren’t quite ready to be called great. Ole Miss needs to be 3-2 after Kentucky before it begins a rough October stretch. That seems much more possible than it did last Sunday, wouldn’t you agree?

I’ve been burned by the Rebels twice already this season on my picks, and I need to stop the bleeding. Then again, so do they. Fresno State is a do-or-die game for Ole Miss. Lose and you can pretty much bank on having a losing season. Win, and there’s still a glimmer of hope for that the season can be salvaged. I’m going to put myself out there, one – last – time – and pick Ole Miss to win with what you would have to assume is superior talent, size and speed to the WAC Bulldogs. As we’ve seen and has been well documented, it’s all going to come down to execution for the Rebels. After three rough weeks, I’m optimistic that the fumbles and interceptions will cease, that one or two of those dropped passes will get caught; and that the defensive line will cover the gaps. If not – whooo boy. It’s going to be rough. The statistic that should make Ole Miss fans nervous: Fresno State has never beaten an SEC team {cringe}.

PREDICTION: Ole Miss 28, Fresno State 24.

SEC PICKS: I was 5-3 on my picks last week, whiffing on Georgia-Arkansas, Clemson-Auburn and of course, Ole Miss. This week’s picks are even tougher. For entertainment (or comedic) purposes only, here are my picks from around the SEC this week:

Alabama 34, Arkansas 24 – Mallet’s great, but after he gets hit once or twice, his effectiveness will diminish. The Tide should be in the NFC East.

South Carolina 28, Auburn 14 – Marcus Lattimore, barring injury, will be one of the next great running backs a la Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, etc. Cameron Newton is good, but he’s not ready for SEC defenses and the Gamecocks have a good one. This could be Spurrier’s year to win the SEC East.

Georgia 21, Mississippi State 7 – It’s hard to have much faith in Mississippi State’s offense. Air Russell should be benched in favor of Runover ya Relf, but I guess Mullen doesn’t see it that way. One of these teams will leave Scott Field on a three-game losing streak, and State’s much more accustomed to that role than Georgia.

LSU 21, West Virginia 10 – This is a tough pick. While it’s hard to put much stock in the offense, LSU’s defense is light’s out. They should shut the Mountaineer’s down. If they don’t, watch out. LSU can’t win a scoring contest.

Tennessee 42, UAB 7 – Tennessee looked tougher than expected against Florida last week.

FACEBOOK: The Facebook page is really growing. I love hearing from the readers and Facebook is such an easy way to interact. Again this week, I’ll be updating live from the game. Be sure to stop by the Facebook page and click the “Like” button so you can get in on the conversation.

Nevermind the complaints about play calling, missed assignments on defense and all the rest. The simple fact is that if Ole Miss didn’t give the ball to the other team in its two losses to Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt, the Rebels would be 3-0 right now. Granted the wins may not have been pretty, but who among you would care at 3-0?

Hidden in the torment and anguish from the two losses is that Ole Miss actually statistically beat both opponents, but when it gave up easy points, statistics went out the window. In other words, the Rebels could have played badly and still beaten Vandy and J-State, if not for the turnovers. The Rebels have a similar talent and speed advantage over Fresno State. Though the game is no more sure, a win against the Bulldogs is not only possible, but probable, if Ole Miss doesn’t give up the football. That’s even with all the problems on defense.

But the defense should, should, be improved.

During most of the Vanderbilt game, the Ole Miss defense looked like it was mostly back, after disappointing showings in the first two weeks. There were essentially three lapses, three bad goofs on three big plays that made the difference. Take away those three plays and the Rebels would have mostly shut Vanderbilt down. You have to think those kinks, if that’s not too much of an understatement, have been worked out in some not-so-fun sessions with Tyrone Nix. If they have, look for a low-scoring game. Statistically, Fresno State is not a high-octane offense. If the Ole Miss defense has ironed out the problems, it has the potential to shut the Bulldogs down. Laugh if you must, but it’s true.

Even if the defense isn’t perfect, if Ole Miss doesn’t give up easy points this weekend it wins. Sounds simple. We’ll see.

BASKETBALL: A preseason interview with basketball coach Andy Kennedy may be a welcome distraction for frustrated football fans. It’s a good read, and it looks like there are reasons for NCAA hope this year.

As I sit here racking my brain about what to write for this post, I now realize how monumental Houston Nutt’s task is this week. I feel like I should be writing about Fresno State and it’s players and what to expect this weekend, but all I can think about is the losses to Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt and the problems that led to them. You’re probably doing the same. Nobody can blame us. We’ve witnessed a couple monumental, embarrassing losses that were equivalent to sucker punches. Now we’re sitting on the couch trying to figure out how they happend. Meanwhile Pat Hill’s BCS-conference-busting Fresno State Bulldogs are coming to town Saturday. Although it may feel like it, time didn’t stop when Larry Smith scored that fourth touchdown last weekend. As bad as Ole Miss has played so far this year, it’s still an SEC team, and you know Hill is licking the tips of his long moustache at the idea of notching a win against a school from the best conference in college football. Fresno State’s never beaten an SEC team, but it’s beaten somebody from just about every other conference. The Bulldogs want this one.

Nutt faces the unenviable task of convincing his team to put Saturday behind them and be ready to play this weekend. And not just ready. READY. The Bulldogs are the best team the Rebels have played yet. But even though most people will admit Fresno State is tough, it’s still just another team Ole Miss should beat. It’s hard to get excited about playing them or even beating them. And that’s the exact mindset Nutt must fight this week. He’s got to get the team to learn from its mistakes, forget the past and get excited about playing another team that it should beat, but could easily lose to. Tough job. But vital. Lose this game and you have to worry that the season might start to snowball. Win, and maybe the Rebels can turn the proverbial corner. At least the hope will still exist. At this point turning the corner just means a respectable season. The definition of respectable has become a moving target, but I’d call six wins or more respectable. Lose Saturday and you can throw respectable out the window. This could be the most important week of Nutt’s career. It’s certainly going to take the best coaching job of his career.

Readership on the Ole Miss Blog has been through the roof the last couple days. Understandably, Rebel fans are looking everywhere for answers, even here. I had a little fun yesterday on my Top 10 Ways Houston Nutt Survives 2010, but don’t mistake that as an endorsement for regime change at Ole Miss. It’s been a tough September to be a Rebel fan, but the season is long, and memories are short. Let’s not forget that Ole Miss did go to two straight New Year’s Day bowl games, following three straight horrific years under Ed Orgeron. While there was disappointment last year given the predicted Top 10 finish, it was still a pretty decent year – save the season-ending loss to State. So, while there are reasons for much concern (see below), Ole Miss could lose every game in 2010 and I’d still have to think long and hard before suggesting to the world that Ole Miss should fire Houston Nutt. (You’re welcome, Houston. I know you were worried).

REASONS FOR CONCERN:

1. Houston Nutt dividing the offensive coordinator position by three is a huge problem for one simple reason – it’s not working.

2. The lapses on defense are a big concern – when players are out of position, that falls on the coach. I’ve admired Tyrone Nix ever since he played at Southern Mississippi and still do, but the defense is getting burned. Nix has to take responsibility and get it fixed – now.

3. Ole Miss lost to Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt. Nobody on this planet would tell you that either school has more talent that the Rebels. Yet Ole Miss lost to both teams. THIS is concerning.

JUST A THOUGHT: Nutt needs to give a select few players the opportunity to become “the guy” on offense. Obviously Masoli will continue to get that chance at quarterback. But he can’t do it by himself. Feed the rock to Brandon Bolden. Give him 25 carries a game. Quit trading the tailback in and out. Let Bolden feel like it’s his team and give him the chance to try to carry it on his back. If he can’t try Davis the next week. Start going to Markeith Summers over the top and across the middle. Give him a chance to become the go-to receiver. Let some guys feel like they can be heroes. All the “spreading” it around is preventing the offense from taking on an identity. Give some players the ability to expect the ball and see if it pays off.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? I don’t know about you, but I’m going to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. True fans don’t quit on their team. As for the team, it needs to keep laying it all out there and putting itself in the best position possible to win each game. Given the weakness in the offensive line and the run game, it’s going to be an uphill climb, but you never know. Turnarounds happen. Catch a few passes and take away an interception and the Rebels would have won Saturday. There is some talent out there. The ship hasn’t completely sunk.

It was written in jest yesterday that this should now be called “a rebuilding year.” I’m not quite ready to say that yet, but if Ole Miss loses to Fresno State and Kentucky, it’ll be time to start looking toward 2011. What are the implications of that? Well, the biggest is that Nutt should consider playing Nathan Stanley, at least some of the time. In all likelihood, he’s going to be the guy next year so start giving hims some snaps. I’m not saying fold the tent and don’t play to win this year, but you have to at least consider the future. Nathan Stanley is the future. Jeremiah Masoli should still play, but you gotta keep sending Stanley out there, too. It’ll pay off next year. Again, I’m not ready to go into “rebuilding” mode just yet. See me again in two weeks.

NUTT STALKERS: Take a glance at the comment section and you’ll see the blog is attracting lots of attention from the Ozarks. What is it about you Razorback fans? First, you hate Houston Nutt and you can’t wait to get rid of him, but now that he’s somewhere else you act like jilted lovers. Weird man. If I was an Arkansas fan I’d be too busy enjoying my win over Georgia to even think about keeping track of Houston Nutt. Whatever. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be pulling for you against Alabama.