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| It's Freezing in Birmingham. (Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Ath.) |
Before I get started on some Ole Miss BBVA Compass Bowl discussion there's a few news items of interest you need to see:
1. After a Christmas break, Jake's Take on Rebel Sports Radio is back. Here's the link to yesterday's show. I want to again thank all our listeners. Even after a year of hosting this show I'm always pleasantly surprised when someone says they like it or admits to being a regular listener or wants to "Name Ken." Obviously I enjoy doing the show, but knowing there's somebody besides mine or Ken's mom out there on the other end listening is, well, rewarding.
2. Ole Miss running back Jeff Scott, who weighed the NFL waters regarding his draft stock, told reporters after today's Compass Bowl practice that he plans to return for his senior season. This is great news for the Rebels. Even though Ole Miss has several young running back studs to choose from for next year, Scott's quickness and experience is irreplaceable. He'll be one of the most valuable members of the offense for sure. The hope for next season is that one or two of those big young 'uns can supplement him in short yardage situations. Scott has the quicks, but the Rebels could have used a hammer in several 3rd and 4th down situations. It's hard to forget that Texas A&M game. Still, Scott had 898 yards and would probably have been a thousand-yard back if not for a 1st-game suspension. With an experienced and improving offensive line returning look for Scott to make a better case for himself as an NFL player in 2013. He'll certainly be a key member of the offense.
3. Ole Miss lineman Derrick Wilson, whose mother died of cancer last year, is trying to do the right thing by his 11-year-old sister and obtain custody of her from her maternal grandmother. Here's some background. It took some doing, probably because of bureaucratic NCAA machinations, but Ole Miss has finally set up a fund to assist Wilson with his legal fees. Not too many college kids have lawyer money laying around. Lawyers are expensive. Trust me. So often we talk about football players who are doing the wrong thing, but here's a player trying to do the right thing and going out of his way to do it. Seems like he'd be good guy to try to help out. Here's how you can.
4. And as you've probably heard by now South Panola's four-star safety Tony Conner has delayed his commitment, originally set for tomorrow's Under Armour game, until February 3rd. This really isn't a bad thing if you've been keeping up. Conner doesn't sound like a man who is totally convinced of where he wants to play yet. It's admirable that he wants to make a commitment that will stick. We'll just have to see what happens on February 3. And you'll get to because according to Conner it'll be on ESPN.
And now some BBVA Compass Bowl discussion.
I've been putting off writing much about this game because I didn't want to burn us all out on it with weeks to go until kickoff. If you're like me, you're not so much interested in knowing the ins and outs and x's and o's of Ole Miss vs. Pitt as you are in reveling in the excitement of being in a totally unexpected bowl game and getting to see the Rebels on the field in their red jerseys and gleaming navy blue helmets one last time. We don't really care about the other team as much as we just want to see a continuation of the 2nd half of the Egg Bowl when the Ole Miss offense was positively electric and the defense the most formidable we've witnessed since 2008. It was a sight to behold, and when the clock hit 0:00 at the end of 4th quarter we were both jubilant about the victory and at the same time sad there's wasn't another quarter yet to play.
Now there's 60 minutes more and by golly we want an encore of Bo Wallace throwing five touchdowns, Feed Moncrief rocking on the jumbotron and C.J. Johnson sacking the quarterback. One more time guys. This time though, do it against Pitt.
The Pitt Panthers (6-6) are a hard team to figure out. On the one hand Pitt lost to Youngstown State and Connecticut, but on the other hand the Panthers beat Rutgers (a 9-win team) and had Notre Dame on the ropes before falling in triple overtime. Any team that can take the No. 1 team in the country that deep is worthy of respect. Like Ole Miss, Pitt also finished its season on a high note, with two straight wins. And the Panthers aren't a gimme just because they're from the Big East. Just ask Will Muschamp or any Florida fan who watched as a clearly excited Louisville took their vaunted Gators to the woodshed in last night's Sugar Bowl. Any team can win or lose on any given day no matter its conference affiliation.
Speaking of excited, that's one place where Ole Miss definitely has the edge. No one at Pitt is excited about a third straight bowl game in Birmingham. Meanwhile, Rebel fans can't snatch up tickets fast enough and the players are thrilled to be rewarded for their inspired and improved play after a historically bad two-year stint. But that's almost completely disappeared in the rear view mirror now. Thanks in large part to one Hugh Freeze it's a new day and Rebel Nation is pumped. As much as anything else the BBVA Compass Bowl is a celebration for Ole Miss and its fans of what Freeze and his young team accomplished in Freeze's debut season.
Ole Miss, with its strong finish to the season and all the noise surrounding recruiting, is clearly a program that is on the road back to relevance. A win over Pitt would put a giant exclamation point on it all and establish the Rebels as a program to watch on the national scene in 2013. Of course that could just as easily be the case even if Ole Miss were to lose, but we like to have wins to bolster the case for our outlook, and that's exactly what a win would do - make thoughts of 2013 that much more exhilarating.
More later...