Why Ole Miss Has More Staying Power Than Mississippi State

The Egg Bowl between Mississippi State and Ole Miss took on special meaning last year, with the Bulldogs still on the periphery of the College Football Playoff and both fighting for "group of six" bowl berths after spending the majority of the season in the national consciousness for the majority of the season.

The Rebels knocked off the Bulldogs 31-17 in Oxford, moved on to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl versus TCU, while the Bulldogs headed to South Florida over New Year's to take on Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

They both took major steps forward in 2014, which begs the question—which one has more staying power?

Both have reason for hope in 2015 and beyond, but Ole Miss is better-positioned to be a player in the SEC West for years to come. Here's why:

Recruiting Like a Power

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Ole Miss finished last season with the 17th-ranked recruiting class in the country.

"Yawn."

"Par for the course."

"Ho-hum, just another February in Oxford."

The 2015 recruiting class wasn't viewed as a success around the country; it was viewed as a typical Ole Miss class. If you're a Rebel fan, that has to have you jumping for joy.

It was the third straight top-20 class for Ole Miss.

During that three-year span, Hugh Freeze kept the program at the forefront within the state borders of Mississippi, while also expanding it nationwide.

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Ole Miss has reeled in eight top-five players in the state of Mississippi, including safeties Tony Conner and C.J. Hampton. It also expanded the recruiting footprint to Metro Atlanta (2013 No. 1 overall player Robert Nkemdiche), Illinois (2013 No. 1 overall wide receiver Laquon Treadwell), Florida (2013 No. 1 overall offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil) and Texas (2015 No. 6 overall wide receiver DaMarkus Lodge).

Has Mississippi State done well inside of Mississippi? Absolutely.

Beating Ole Miss for 2013 defensive tackle Chris Jones was huge, and getting Leo Lewis to late in the 2015 cycle was big as well. From a national standpoint, though, Mississippi State isn't on Ole Miss' level.

The success of the 2014 season in which the Bulldogs achieved the No. 1 ranking for the first time ever and were in the playoff hunt into rivalry weekend will certainly help head coach Dan Mullen take the program national. When it gets there, though, it will find a friendly face awaiting in the form of Freeze and his Rebels.

Depth for Days

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Sure, Ole Miss lost quarterback Bo Wallace, linebacker Deterrian Shackelford, corner Senquez Golson and safety Cody Prewitt off of last year's squad that won nine games.

They'll be better in 2015.

Conner is already a stud as Ole Miss' "huskie" and can slide into Prewitt's spot if needed. That likely isn't needed, though, as Hampton emerged as a stud this spring and will become a force as both a run-stuffer and in coverage. Add in veterans Trae Elston and Mike Hilton, and Ole Miss is set at safety.

At corner, Tee Shepard looked like a star in the spring game, Tony Bridges looked solid and one thing we learned last season is that mixing and matching players in the secondary to get them in the right spot at the right time is one of defensive coordinator Dave Wommack's strengths.

"I thought that there was some solid play on defense," Freeze said after the Grove Bowl, according to quotes released by Ole Miss. "Tee Shepard was solid all day at corner."

Up front, the Rebels are so loaded with players like Nkemdiche, Breeland Speaks and Isaac Gross, that Freeze and Co. moved defensive end C.J. Johnson back to middle linebacker this spring.

At quarterback, Wallace was as much of a liability as he was a strength for the Rebels over the last three seasons.

Redshirt sophomore Ryan Buchanan is in the lead of the three-man race to replace him following spring practice, but junior college transfer Chad Kelly was the standout of the Grove Bowl, completing nine of his 19 passes for 104 yards, one touchdown and one pick behind a patchwork offensive line that had been decimated by injuries left over from last season. DeVante Kincade may trail the two, but his ability to make plays on the ground will be used in some way by Freeze and the offensive staff.

There are plenty of options to replace holes in Oxford, and that is a trend that will continue thanks to the recruiting efforts of Freeze and his staff.

Besides, Ole Miss is already in the national picture, which was a surprise even to Freeze last November, according to Hugh Kellenberger of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger:

"

My original plan that I had, that I actually presented in my interview, was that we would be going to a bowl game this year. That was the goal. To be very competitive and find a way to get enough wins to go to a bowl game. That was the original plan, but we're excited it didn't work out. I'm glad I was wrong.

"

The best is yet to come.

For Mississippi State, the depth isn't quite there.

Sure, last season, it was. After all, nearly everybody on the defensive two-deep returned from 2013, which allowed former defensive coordinator Geoff Collins the luxury of rotating players in his front seven throughout games. That depth—and more importantly, the continuity from 2013 to 2014—was a big reason why the Bulldogs were able to finish third in the conference in third down defense (34.95 percent) and first in red zone scoring defense (63.64 percent).

This year, that doesn't exist.

Studs like linebacker Benardrick McKinney and three-time SEC defensive lineman of the week Preston Smith are gone, as are five total starters in the front seven. 

Jones and others are expected to step up and become starters and could evolve into stars, but that depth isn't there for new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz to rely on like it was last season in Starkville.

Offensive Changes

Freeze came to Ole Miss with a track record of success on the offensive side of the ball, but for the most part, the identity of his Rebels has been squarely focused on the defensive side.

That will change in 2015.

Ole Miss hasn't been able to run the football between the tackles for the majority of Freeze's tenure in Oxford, which relegated that responsibility to Wallace. Not surprisingly, it took a toll on his shoulder, and the former Rebel signal-caller spent far too much time in the whirlpool and with trainers than he anticipated.

In the spring game, though, things changed. Behind that patchwork offensive line, Akeem Judd, Eugene Brazley and Jordan Wilkins all looked like they could handle the load by themselves but won't need to thanks to the depth Freeze and his staff have built up.

"Wilkins is going to be a solid player for us," Freeze said in quotes released by Ole Miss. "He is a good pass protector and a hard runner. He can get the football out of the backfield. I think he sees that now is his time to start getting more reps and more opportunities to help this football team. He has been good this spring."

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Add in edge threat and known commodity Jaylen Walton and whatever running threat the quarterback brings to the table, and the Rebels offense will be terrifying. Treadwell is one of the best receivers in the country, and Cody Core, Quincy Adeboyejo, Markell Pack and Damore'ea Stringfellow will take a ton of pressure off of Treadwell.

Mississippi State has quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver De'Runnya Wilson returning, but three new pieces along the offensive line and the absence of Josh Robinson will hurt. The offensive line was a big reason the Bulldogs were as successful as they were last year, and the absence of center Dillon Day, left tackle Blaine Clausell and guard Ben Beckwith will make it hard for the Bulldogs to replicate last season's offensive success.

That's not to say the offense won't be dangerous.

With Mullen calling the shots and Prescott taking the snaps, the Bulldogs will still move the football. 

But the depth and continuity mentioned when talking about Mississippi State's 2014 defense was also a big factor in its offensive success, and it doesn't exist this season in Starkville.

Moving forward, Prescott will exhaust his eligibility after this season, Wilson could declare for the draft after the 2015 season and reliable replacements haven't emerged on the roster quite yet.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.