You've probably heard it said that football teams improve the most the week between the 1st and 2nd game of the season, and that appeared to hold true for Ole Miss in its 41-3 decimation of Vanderbilt on Saturday. The Rebels looked like a vastly improved football team, Bo Wallace especially. He was efficient, precise and most importantly, mistake-free, in his 2nd consecutive 300-yard plus performance. Wallace is now just one 300-yard game shy of catching Eli Manning's career record for 300-yard passing games. The way he is playing, that record and many more will fall before the end of November.
Offensive Line is Getting There
Though it certainly has more work to do, the offensive line was improved, with less costly false-start penalties, and helping Ole Miss to more than double its rushing performance from Week 1. The unit is still far from dominant. Two first-half trips to the red zone were held to field goals in part because Hugh Freeze felt like he had to do trick stuff as opposed to just punching it in with one of his four running backs. Freeze wouldn't have to resort to wildcats and other trickeration if he thought one of his running backs could run it between the tackles. But Rome was not built in a day. Christian Morris is eligible now, adding depth at tackle. Fahn Cooper should continue to get better. With UL-L and Memphis next, the Ole Miss offense is good enough to allow this group more time to gel and work out the kinks before Alabama comes calling. Then it'll be put up or shut up time. Then we'll know.
Cover Two or Cover Who?
I'm not sure what more you could ask of Evan Engram, Laquon Treadwell, Vince Sanders and Cody Core. They're a defensive coordinator's nightmare. Who do you double-team? It doesn't matter because somebody else will be open, and with Wallace showing his aptitude for checking down to the open guy there's almost nothing a defense can do short of owning the line of scrimmage and pressuring Wallace. That's why it's so important that the offensive line get better over these next two games.
Must See D
You know the defense you're watching is good, when you look forward to the offense getting off the field. I've found myself looking forward to Ole Miss not having the football in the first two games. Between it's aggressive defensive line, the hard-hitting linebackers and the loaded backfield, the Rebels are just that fun to watch on defense. I've never seen so many hard hitters and play-makers on the field at the same time for Ole Miss. One of those is Mike Hilton, who continues to make plays. Hilton was an afterthought of mine before the season began. I thought he would back up Tony Conner at Husky. Obviously, I did not understand how good Hilton could be. He looks great in coverage and dangerous in the open field. Yesterday he had a pass break-up that looked All-SEC caliber. Hilton is one of several players who are making the Ole Miss defense more than formidable.
Caution
While the 41-3 destruction of Vanderbilt was fun to watch don't make too much of it. The Commodores are a really, really bad football team. We're talking 2-win territory bad. Beating Vanderbilt by 38 points is not an indication of how the Rebels will play against Alabama, Auburn or Texas A&M. Those three teams are upper echelon good. We really won't know how good Ole Miss is until the Rebels line up against these behemoths. It's not just them, either. The entire SEC West is loaded. LSU is getting better. Arkansas has looked surprisingly strong early, and yes, I think Mississippi State is a good team, too. My only problem with the Bulldogs is I haven't seen them play anybody. Beating UAB is nothing to brag about, and Southern Miss had a close call with Alcorn State Saturday. That should tell you something about State's early competition. I caught some flack last week for ranking Mississippi State at the bottom of the SEC West, but until I see more I don't have anywhere else to put the Bulldogs. The SEC West is that loaded. Seventh place will fall to the loser of the Mississippi State - Arkansas game, and at this point I think the Razorbacks are better than State. Until one of those two teams show me something different that's where they'll stay.
SEC Power Rankings
West
1. Auburn - Gus Malzahn's offense is better than last year's SEC Championship team. Scary.
2. Texas A&M - The only offense that can match Auburn's scoring capabilities.
3. Alabama - I have the Tide 3rd because I can't see them keeping up with Auburn or A&M offensively, and the defense still needs to prove itself to me.
4. Ole Miss - The Rebels are better, but I need to see more from the offensive line before I can move them any higher.
5. LSU - I think Arkansas, LSU and Mississippi State are almost interchangeable. I could see any of these three teams beating the other.
6. Arkansas - The Hogs are going to surprise somebody this year. Hopefully, not Ole Miss.
7. Mississippi State - Don't be offended State fans. I still think you're a good team, but your Bulldogs gave up 548 yards to UAB, and you still haven't played a decent team. Show me something, and we'll talk.
East
1. Georgia - The Bulldogs had an open date, but it just made Todd Gurley stronger. {Shudder}
2. Florida - The Gators may have an offense. If so, Florida is an instant contender.
3. Missouri - Better than South Carolina. That's how the Tigers got to No. 3.
4. South Carolina - Struggling to beat East Carolina is not a good sign.
5. Tennessee - Nor is having a difficult time with Arkansas State.
6. Kentucky - I could see the Wildcats scoring an upset this season.
7. Vanderbilt - Derek Mason may not survive his first season in Nashville. B-A-D. Any and all progress made by James Franklin at Vanderbilt has been laid to waste. It's hard to blame that Vanderbilt fan who ripped his shirt off, threw it on the field and walked out. I just hope for Mason's sake his players don't do the same thing. Something is bad wrong at Vanderbilt.
14th and Rising
Ole Miss moved up to 14th in the AP Poll and 15th in the Coaches Poll. If the Rebels get those two wins against UL-L and Memphis they will be in the Top Ten when Alabama comes to Oxford on October 4. ESPN's College GameDay will be on Campus and the scene at Vaught-Hemingway will be like none seen since Eli Manning's Rebels faced LSU with a chance to win the SEC West in 2003. That was 11 years ago. Ole Miss has been through three coaches and an Athletic Director to get the program back to this point. All the credit goes to Hugh Freeze and the people with the foresight to take the chance on him. The man can coach. He's inspirational and he's good enough with X's and O's that he can beat better teams with lesser players. Ole Miss is where it is right now because of Freeze.
UL-L Loses Big
Louisiana Tech beat UL-L 48-20 on Saturday. The Ragin Cajuns, thought by many to be a trap game for Ole Miss, are obviously a very beatable football team. Ole Miss plays Lousiana-Lafayette Saturday at 3 p.m. (SEC Network).
UL-L Loses Big
Louisiana Tech beat UL-L 48-20 on Saturday. The Ragin Cajuns, thought by many to be a trap game for Ole Miss, are obviously a very beatable football team. Ole Miss plays Lousiana-Lafayette Saturday at 3 p.m. (SEC Network).