Ole Miss
Rebels
Preview 2007
By
Pete Fiutak
-
2007 Ole Miss Offense Preview |
2007 Ole Miss Defense Preview
-
2007 Ole Miss Depth Chart
|
2006 CFN Ole Miss Preview
In the
impatient world of college football, the old five-year rebuilding plan
doesn’t work anymore. Fans want to win, and they want to win yesterday
hoping for quick fixes from a coach who can come in and immediately turn
a bad situation into something special. Ed Orgeron has done wonders
recruiting over the last two years, but the clock is ticking in what
might be an impossible situation.
After winning ten games in 2003, Ole Miss has won just nine games
against D-I teams with two against Memphis, two against Vanderbilt, and
two against Mississippi State. While the Rebels have hardly been special
since Eli Manning’s career was done, it hasn’t helped that the SEC has
gotten better, and the schedules have turned out to be harder than
expected.
Head coach: Ed Orgeron
3rd year: 7-16
Returning Lettermen:
Off. 26, Def. 18, ST 3
Lettermen Lost: 17 |
Ten
Best Ole Miss Players
1. OT Michael Oher, Soph.
2. RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Sr.
3. DE Marcus Tillman, Soph.
4. SS Jamarca Sanford, Jr.
5. NT Jeremy Garrett, Sr.
6. DE Peria Jerry, Jr.
7. OG John Jerry, Soph.
8. QB Seth Adams, Sr.
9. QB Brent Schaeffer, Sr.
10. RB Cordera Eason, Soph. |
|
2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction:
5-7 |
|
Sept. 1 |
at Memphis |
|
Sept. 8 |
Missouri |
|
Sept. 15 |
at
Vanderbilt |
|
Sept. 22 |
Florida |
|
Sept. 29 |
at
Georgia |
|
Oct.
6 |
Louisiana Tech |
|
Oct.
13 |
Alabama |
|
Oct.
20 |
Arkansas |
|
Oct.
27 |
at
Auburn |
|
Nov.
3 |
Northwestern St |
|
Nov.
17 |
LSU |
|
Nov.
24 |
at Mississippi St |
|
|
2006
Schedule
CFN
Prediction:
6-6
2006 Record:
4-8
Preview
2006 predicted
wins
|
| 9/2 |
Memphis W 28-25 |
| 9/9 |
at Missouri L 34-7 |
| 9/16 |
at Kentucky
L 31-14 |
| 9/23 |
Wake Forest
L 27-3 |
|
9/30 |
Georgia L 14-9 |
| 10/7 |
Vanderbilt
W 17-10 |
| 10/14 |
at Alabama L 26-23 OT |
| 10/21 |
at Arkansas L 38-3 |
| 10/28 |
Auburn L 23-17 |
| 11/4 |
NW State
W 27-7 |
| 11/18 |
at LSU L 23-20 OT |
| 11/25 |
Miss State
W 20-17 |
|
All eight losses last year came to bowl-bound teams including ACC
champion Wake Forest, Sugar Bowl champion LSU, and SEC West champ
Arkansas. Ole Miss beat the teams it was supposed to, but there just
weren’t enough of those types of games on the slate. While the 4-8
record is being held over Orgeron as evidence that the program isn’t
improving, the better measure is how close he and the team came to
having a special second half of the year losing to Georgia, and on the
road against Alabama, Auburn and LSU by a total of 19 points.
Near-misses don’t cut it in the SEC when Arkansas is winning the West
and Kentucky is going to a bowl. After throwing too many freshmen into
key situations and patching things up here and there with transfers like
QB Brent Schaeffer and RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, this is a veteran team
with enough talent to come up with it first bowl game in four years.
Now the team has to build on the improvements to start making its own
breaks. It needs to win more of the close battles against the teams
looking ahead to bigger games, and it has to start using all the decent
talent to jell into a bowl-bound team. If the change doesn’t happen this
season there might be another rebuilding job being done next year at
this time with a new head coach.
What to watch for on offense: Improvement along the offensive
line. Four starters return up front including hot-shot recruits from a
few years ago, Michael Oher and John Jerry. It’s a big group that has to
be far better in pass protection and needs to open up more holes for
Green-Ellis and the ground game. Essentially, the line has to find one
thing it can do consistently well.
What to watch for on defense: The defensive line, which struggled
through its youthful mistakes over the last two seasons, has the
potential to make a night-and-day improvement now that everyone is
healthy. Tackles Peria Jerry and Jeremy Garrett are tremendous unsung
playmakers, while Marcus Tillman has next-level ability.
The team will be far better if … the passing game isn’t a
liability. After finishing last in the SEC, and 110th in the
nation, in passing efficiency, these are hardly the days of Eli. Brent
Schaeffer had his moments, but the former Tennessee transfer had too
many problems with the passing game. Backup Seth Adams didn’t do much
more to move the offense, but he was a far more effective thrower. The
situation for next year is set with Texas transfer Jevan Snead all but
handed the reins a year in advance, but for now, someone has to show he
can lead the team to points.
The Schedule:
There can’t
be any complaints about the road schedule facing Memphis, Vanderbilt,
Georgia, Auburn and Mississippi State and without two in a row. However,
there are only two certain home wins (Louisiana Tech and Northwestern
State) with Missouri, Florida, Alabama, Arkansas and LSU all going to be
planning on coming away from Oxford with a win. The Rebels have to win
at least two of those tough home games to think about going bowling.
Best Offensive Player:
Junior
OT Michael Oher. A star recruit of a few years ago has lived up to the hype
and then some making 22 straight starts and turning into a special
blocker. He’s a 6-5, 325-pound rock who’ll be the one the team runs
behind at left tackle. Expect All-SEC honors and fringe All-America
status.
Best Defensive Player:
Sophomore DE
Marcus Tillman. The sky’s the limit for the 260-pound sophomore. He has
the strength to see time at tackle, but he’s better on the end where he
showed flashes of his immense potential as a pass rusher. If he’s able
to get time to develop on one side, and if the tackles start occupying
more attention, he should grow into an All-SEC star.
Key player to a
successful season:
Junior LB
Tony Fein. It’s
asking way too much for anyone to be Patrick Willis, but Fein, a star
JUCO transfer who made 136 tackles for Scottsdale C.C. last year, is a
big, talented linebacker who should step in and be an instant impact
player. He’s a 6-2, 245-pound hitting machine who won’t have any problem
being the tough leader of the defense after spending over three years in
Iraq.
The season will be a
success if
... Ole Miss wins six games. Considering the program hasn’t had a
winning season since Eli was under center (three seasons ago), coming
within range of a winning season would be more than enough to signal a
big step forward in the Ed Orgeron era and would lead, potentially, to a
huge 2008 when the team will be loaded with veterans.
Key game:
Sept. 15 at Vanderbilt.
With Florida and Georgia coming up over the following two weeks, and
Missouri the week before, the Rebels need to come up with a win over an
improved Vanderbilt team to potentially avoid a lousy start, and to keep
bowl hopes from being crushed by the end of September.
2006 Fun Stats:
- Fourth quarter scoring: Opponents 81 – Ole Miss 34
- Third down conversions: Opponents 69-162 (43%) – Ole Miss 44-150 (29%)
- Sacks: Opponents 29 for 193 yards – 14 for 69 yards