Fat Guy Touchdowns: Ole Miss 2012 Football Preview

Ole Miss 2012 Hype Video

University of Mississippi 2012 Football Preview

Ole Miss Football had what has to be considered an epic meltdown in 2011 with only 2 wins. My worst case scenario pick last year for Ole Miss was 4-8, but the lame duck coaching staff and players quit. No one with a brain would have said prior to the 2011 season that Ole Miss was only going to win 2 games or lose to Vandy, Kentucky, & LaTech by 2+ touchdowns. Houston Nutt left behind a circus when he left town with millions. That is behind the program now. A new coaching staff is intact along with a new athletic director.

New head football coach Hugh Freeze has his work cut out for him in 2012 and beyond. I like the attitude Freeze has had heading into this season. His coaching staff, players, and fans are going to need his upbeat attitude during the grind of the season, especially late. Will Hugh Freeze be successful at Ole Miss? Not this year and probably not next year, but with some time and University support he could build the program back up to a respectable level. Freeze has won at every level he has coached. Until he doesn’t win I have to believe he will steady the ship in Oxford, if given appropriate time.

A Clarion Ledger headline on Ole Miss was titled “Picking up the tempo”. I understand everything said in the article, but I do not see that being able to work this year. The Rebels do not have the depth on either side of the ball to take a fast pace game into the 4^th quarter. You have to be two deep at virtually every position to run 80+ plays on offense in a competitive football game. If you do not have the depth you won’t run 80+ plays because your players will tire out and become less efficient. A less efficient offense that is going fast punishes your own defense not the other team. If the offense runs 3 quick plays then has to punt the defense is right back on the field in less than 1 minute of game time. A defense that lacks depth, like Ole Miss, will not be able to handle this into the 3^rd & 4^th quarters.

Bad news for Ole Miss is that they have a quarterback controversy… Good news is that they actually have 2 quarterbacks that are capable SEC quarterbacks. The Rebels lack depth on the offensive line, but they have some experience returning and talk out of Rebel camp is that the line has come together. This team has a couple of serious ballers at some skilled positions. I consistently rave about Donte Moncrief because I think he is awesome. I believe if he keeps his head right he could be a very successful NFL receiver in the future, maybe even a Pro Bowl candidate. The running back situation is not SEC caliber, but there is still talent (Scott/Mackey) and some depth there. If the offense can catch a few breaks, keep guys healthy, and get some consistency at quarterback then this unit should at the very least put some fans in the seats by scoring points.

The real negative I see in this football team is the defense. Mike Marry and Charles Sawyer are going to produce if healthy, but what else does Ole Miss have? The defensive front better have several players emerge, or it will be a long year for a defense that ranked last in the SEC last year. Ole Miss will be running a base defense of 4-2-5. People that don’t know what that means 4 (linemen), 2 (linebackers), and 5 (defensive backs). A football team with a running game will pound that defensive set up especially if the front 4 are subpar. I just don’t see many positives for this side of the ball heading into the 2012 season. If people don’t emerge this unit could be an embarrassment. (Ole Miss does have a really good punter so hopefully he will continue to help the defense as much as he can)

Best case scenario for Ole Miss in 2012: (6-6) If Hugh Freeze accomplishes this feat then he deserves every coach of the year honor in the country. A (6-6) record and a bowl bid would be equivalent to a SEC Championship for this team.

Worst case scenario for Ole Miss in 2012: (2-10) I really don’t see this being possible, but I had to put it because it was achieved last year.

Prediction for Ole Miss in 2012: (4-8) Ole Miss should take wins from Central Arkansas, UTEP, and Tulane. I feel like the Rebels will win another game at some point in their season giving them a total of 4. This team will be competitive in many more games than last year, but their overall lack of depth will show late in games.

Head Coach: Hugh Freeze