Best team in OM history staring at 9-3, 8-4

[PassInterference]

A good case was made in the preseason that this Ole Miss team is the most talented one in Ole Miss history. Or at least modern history. See here:

http://www.elitedawgs.com/showthread.php?19151-Why-is-anybody-upset-about-Ole-Missus-being-in-the-preseason-AP-Top-25

Now, here Ole Miss sits after 2 straight LSU loses. Confidence looks low. Their star receiver is out. And they've got a week off to rest for an underrated Arkansas team and an Egg Bowl matchup against the consensus #1 team in America.

They're looking best case at 9-3. I think they finish 8-4.

Don't count Arkansas out. Arkansas gave aTm, Bama, UGA, and Our State all they wanted. Only the Bama game in those 4 was played on their home field. I look for the Hogs to upset Ole Miss in Fayetteville.

Then comes the Egg Bowl. If Ole Miss hasn't quit by then, I think we'll make their ass quit. I look for a blowout win there.

8-4 for the best Ole Miss roster ever!!!!

Wouldn't be surprised to see the *beginnings* of hot seat rumblings for Hugh Freeze. Those confederates were already getting restless during a mid-season slump last year. Wait till they go 8-4 with their best roster EVAR!!!

[Barkman Turner Overdrive]

Who gives two shits about the UMites? We are currently number 1 in the country and are playing for the SEC West Championship this weekend with an SEC title and a playoff spot on the line. They are as insignificant as USM is this week. We don't play them for another two weeks. Let's talk about them then.

[Westdawg]

you think they are restless now? wait until next season when they don't have a starting QB that can adequately run their offense, still not have a real running game, and several key pieces of their defense and offense will have graduated.
The hot seat started in that loss to Auburn. The Blue Hose game was just a farce. This team is not gonna be very good.
But in saying that, i do not discount them already in the Egg Bowl. They will - at least to begin with - be fired up to beat us. Mullen MUST put his foot on the gas and play to demoralize them early. get up by a few TDs and force lots of issues for Bo passing.
If they lose to Arky and MSU, then Freeze will be doing all he can to jump ship. next year is going to be really bad for OM.

[BeastMan]

Always fun going back and looking at pre-season talk. I feel good about everything I said and how that translated to now. That was fun.

[thf24]

Wouldn't be surprised to see the *beginnings* of hot seat rumblings for Hugh Freeze. Those confederates were already getting restless during a mid-season slump last year. Wait till they go 8-4 with their best roster EVAR!!!

Assuming they've learned from the Cutcliffe mistake (no guarantees, I know), I don't think Freeze will truly be on the hot seat in the minds of those who make the decisions. Bjork and the top boosters know that he hasn't had enough time to build the depth to be consistent. The problem is that his success this year has come squarely on the shoulders of his elite talent from 2013 as well as a good (but flawed in the head) QB falling into his lap when he got there. He's always going to recruit well, but not four #1 position recruits a year good, and I'm not sure he's a good enough coach to be more than consistently decent with the kind of low/mid 4 star talent that's going to be the norm for him. That production will definitely land him on the hot seat within a few years.

[Tripp McNeely]

Who gives two shits about the UMites? We are currently number 1 in the country and are playing for the SEC West Championship this weekend with an SEC title and a playoff spot on the line. They are as insignificant as USM is this week. We don't play them for another two weeks. Let's talk about them then.

Screw that...I'm doing everything I can to not think about our game, the nervousness is killing me...any distraction until Saturday afternoon (and especially one that mocks the bears) is VERY welcome!

[MetEdDawg]

Assuming they've learned from the Cutcliffe mistake (no guarantees, I know), I don't think Freeze will truly be on the hot seat in the minds of those who make the decisions. Bjork and the top boosters know that he hasn't had enough time to build the depth to be consistent. The problem is that his success this year has come squarely on the shoulders of his elite talent from 2013 as well as a good (but flawed in the head) QB falling into his lap when he got there. He's always going to recruit well, but not four #1 position recruits a year good, and I'm not sure he's a good enough coach to be more than consistently decent with the kind of low/mid 4 star talent that's going to be the norm for him. That production will definitely land him on the hot seat within a few years.

They better learn how to build depth quickly. Last time I counted, they will lose 25-30 players over the next two years to graduation and draft just in their two deep. I'm assuming Nkemdiche, Tunsil, Treadwell, and Conner will probably go early which would put them closer to the 30 mark. That's a ton of people to lose. They currently don't have the depth to fill those holes and that should scare them.

This is why I've been harping on Mullen's ability to look forward. We lose a decent amount this offseason especially on defense. But we sub in and out like crazy and we are going to see that pay off next year. OM doesn't sub anywhere close to the rate we do and when they have to replace all of those starting minutes they are going to wish they had. I think Mullen subbing in and out could be a 1-2 game swing in our favor next year. Might be the difference in 7-5/8-4 and 9-3.