The Bottom Line on… Ole Miss
If BenJarvus Green-Ellis is to make it through the 2007 season, the Ole Miss athletic training staff may want to consider wrapping the Rebels leading rusher (and former Hoosier) in Nerf.
Green-Ellis carried the ball 234 times last season and is expected to receive the same amount of carries this year, as offensive coordinator Dan Werner will look to control the ball with the running game and grind out some wins. At quarterback it appears to be a three-horse race between seniors Brent Schaeffer and Seth Adams and redshirt freshman Michael Herrick. Unfortunately for the Rebs, their most talented quarterback, Texas transfer Jevan Snead, will be sitting out this season after transferring. Though Schaeffer is hands-down the most athletic of the three, he lacks the consistency that head coach Ed Orgeron would like to have in his signal-caller. My guess is that it will likely be Schaeffer for the first part of the season and if he starts to circle the drain its a toss-up between Adams and Herrick. If Ole Miss is to be competitive this season, it will need to develop more offensive weapons than Green-Ellis. The Rebels finished last in the conference in total yards and scoring last season (261.5 ypg, 15.7 ppg) and will need to develop other offensive threats, particularly at wideout where sophomores Dexter McCluster and Marshay Green return after impressive ‘07 campaigns. Whoever Orgeron starts at quarterback will have the benefit of starting behind a line that is returning four starters from last year’s unit, including All-SEC second-teamer Michael Oher at left tackle and sophomore right guard John Jerry who received freshman All-America honors last season.
Teams will be scoring on the Ole Miss defense at will. The defensive line is a trainwreck despite the improvement of sophomore end Marcus Tillman during the spring. The Rebs will never be able to match the production or the talent of linebacker Patrick Willis, who was drafted in the first round of May’s NFL draft and the team is practically starting over at corner and safety as junior Jamarca Sanford moves back to safety after a season at Will linebacker.
With so many holes to fill, the Rebs could use some early season non-conference wins.. but they won’t get any this season. They open the season at Memphis before hosting Big 12 favorite Missouri. Their first forseeable win isn’t until week 5 when Ole Miss hosts Louisiana Tech on Homecoming in Oxford.
Bottom Line Prediction: 2-7. This is a tough conference for programs that are rebuilding and the Rebels play an absolutely monstrous schedule including non-conference clashes with Memphis and Missouri. Three wins is probably the best-case scenario for this team if they can squeak out a victory in Starkville in the Egg Bowl.
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“Teams will be scoring on the Ole Miss defense at will.”
What was Bat Shit Crazy Ed’s specialty? Defense???
Croom spells doom on ole titty twisting Ed in the Egg Bowl/
It’s a sad day in Oxford when Memphis is a favorite over Ole Miss, what with Ed’s great recruiting class and all. Do they have a mascot yet???
Ole Miss or MSU, it doesn’t matter…My Eers are going to paint their backporches red
shut up Angry
Isn’t their probation up this year?
Who is on probation Mr Green Jeans?
I think their probation is up next year. Doesn’t really matter though until they get rid of their coach…
Titty twister?
Ole Miss, Gameday, 1st Quarter
Werner: Coach O,it’s 4th and long. Should we punt???
Ed (to self): titty titty bump bump, titty titty……
Run a bubble screen…for the Zooker!!!
Angry your “my Eers will destroy *insert any team*” rhetoric is getting old. Your destroying any cred you had with each and every post.
Surely you are not arguing that we wouldn’t kick the ass of MSU and Ole Miss? Nice use of italics too