Alabama Fans Have No Reason to Fear the Ole Miss Game in 2009

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

I've sat and read the preseason polls over the last few months and have certainly been intrigued by the "love" the Ole Miss Rebel football team has been receiving.

Please, don't get me wrong.

I do understand where it's coming from—and I don't mean from whom.

If we took that aspect, from whom, in consideration for just a moment we could come up with a number of points that would rival a MBA student's dissertation in length. So, that's an aspect I want to set aside for the time being.

What I find intriguing about these rankings is where they are ranked, specifically which teams they find themselves ranked above.

The reasons are evident.

There is the indisputable fact that Ole Miss was the only team that beat the eventual national champions last year. Add to that, it makes the second year in a row a Houston Nutt coached team has beaten the eventual BCS champion.

A solid foundation exists for those thoughts based solely on Jevan Snead returning.

Experience at the QB position is a huge plus in a college football season. We need to look no further than LSU, or Auburn, or Tennessee, or...you get my point.

Then, we have the schedule the Rebels face in 2009. With two games at home against the two teams considered "the ones to beat in the SEC West," it would seem to give even more credence to their rankings.

But, I still don't buy it.

Specifically, I don't buy that Alabama has a reason to fear the Rebels, and there's no reason as well for fans to look at the matchup on October 10 with any trepidation.

Why?

A few reasons...

Ole Miss and Home Field Advantage

I'll admit, I don't look at LSU's stadium and automatically think "home field advantage."

But, there's reason behind that considering how often Alabama and LSU win on the road versus each other.

That said, Vaught-Hemingway is not even in the same league as Tiger Stadium when it comes to a crowd having an impact on an opposing teams offense. Of course, having a difference in attendance of close to 30,000 people tend to impact the noise a crowd can make.

The capacity isn't the reason I look at Alabama playing at Vaught-Hemingway and see nothing to dread.

History indicates it means very little when it comes to the success of the Rebels.

If you take a moment and look at the record Ole Miss has posted at home this decade versus SEC opponents, you see a record that doesn't eclipse the .500 mark (19-21.)

Does the experience last year change that? They were .500 at home last year so how would it?

But Ole Miss Has Houston Nutt Now

I have respect for Houston Nutt. I do consider him to be a good team motivator.

But, there is a reason Arkansas fans don't care for HDN, and it has nothing to do with the fact he's now coaching at a fellow SECW school.

It all comes down to expectations and the lack of fulfillment of those expectations.

Each time his former Razorback teams were thought of to be "a team to beat" they did fulfill that expectation—they were a team beaten.

If history is an indicator on his coaching ability, he'll lose games he's supposed to win. In this case, enough to prove the lofty preseason ranking is undeserved.

Using Last Year as an Indicator of This Years Results

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