My name is Joseph Morgan and I'll be breaking down each of the 2008 Florida Gators' opponents and making predictions game by game. Please feel free to give your input and make your opinions known throughout the series. I am happy to discuss the games.
Game Four vs. Ole Miss, Sept. 27, 2008
"Hotty Toddy"
Are you ready?
Hell yes! Damn Right!
Hotty Toddy, Gosh almighty
Who the hell are we? Hey!
Flim Flam, Bim Bam,
OLE MISS BY DAMN!
Info: The Ole Miss Rebels are “egged” on by their fans with arguably the most vulgar but spirited cheer in college football. However, Hotty Toddy was unable to bring success to the 2007 Rebels.
Led by Coach Ed Orgeron, the Rebels limped, staggered, and stumbled to a paltry 3-9 record and finished winless in SEC play for the first time in 25 years. After three disappointing seasons as Ole Miss’s head football coach, Orgeron was fired on Nov. 24, 2007—shortly after their loss to rival Mississippi State in the “Egg Bowl.”
Former Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt was named the University of Mississippi’s 36th head football coach three days later.
Today's Must Reads
Offseason: Under the direction of new head coach Houston Nutt, the Rebels pulled in a recruiting class that ranked No. 22 and No. 34 on Rivals.com and Scout.com, respectively.
However, Nutt will have to harness that talent and put a winner on the field. Ed Orgeron gained fame for his recruiting prowess, but it never translated into success for Ole Miss on the football field.
The biggest story of the Rebels’ offseason is the recent eligibility of sophomore quarterback Jevan Snead for the 2008 season. Snead, a top recruit who originally signed with Texas, sat out the 2007 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Snead is the current favorite to win the starting job after the departure of senior quarterbacks Seth Adams and Brent Schaeffer.
Unfortunately for Snead, he has a large task ahead of him as he prepares to take over the dismal Ole Miss offense. The 2007 Rebels ranked last in the SEC with 20.1 points per game and second to last with 1,578 rushing yards.
Fun fact: Florida quarterback Tim Tebow accumulated 4,181 yards of total offense in 2007, only 126 yards fewer than the Rebels’ 4,307 yards of total offense.
2008 Outlook: The Rebels haven’t had a winning season since Eli Manning was the Rebels’ quarterback and don’t look for that change in 2008. Ole Miss is simply a very small fish in the big ocean that we call the Southeastern Conference.
However, Houston Nutt worked wonders during his tenure at Arkansas and should return the Rebels to SEC title contention. The Rebels will improve from last season, but in my opinion, a .500 season is out of the question in 2008.
Game Prediction: Florida 42, Ole Miss 10
Florida’s 30-24 victory in The Grove last season was a lot closer than it should have been. There is absolutely no way that the Rebels can keep up with Florida in this year’s contest, offensively or defensively. The Gators are too fast and too good for Ole Miss to even stay on the same field with them, let alone have a chance to win.
Look for a breakout game from Gators running back Emmanuel Moody. By the end of September, Moody should have a much better grasp of Urban Meyer’s spread offense and be a lethal threat in the Gators’ already very dangerous backfield.
Florida now sits at 4-0 and will welcome the defending champion LSU Tigers to Gainesville. The Gators look to avenge their heartbreaking loss to the Bayou Bengals in 2007, but Les Miles and the Tigers have other plans. Stay tuned!
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about 1 month ago
You said: "Florida’s 30-24 victory in The Grove last season was a lot closer than it should have been. There is absolutely no way that the Rebels can keep up with Florida in this year’s contest, offensively or defensively. The Gators are too fast and too good for Ole Miss to even stay on the same field with them, let alone have a chance to win. "
Florida is sound on offense and defense, but to say Ole Miss can't even stay on the same field as them is absurd. Ole Miss had the worst season in school history last year, and still almost defeated the Gators. The last time Ole Miss went to Ben Griffin what happened? Oh yeah. Ole Miss was predicted to lose big then, too.
With LSU coming to town the next week, I'm sure, as you are, your fellow Gators will be overlooking an Ole Miss team with an array of talent and a chance to knock off the Gators again! 42-10? Wow, thought Gator fans would've learned over the past three times Ole Miss has played them. Do I think the Rebels will win? Probably not, but they're certainly not getting beat 42-10.
Also, disagree with the .500 part. Many media outlets, including ESPN, have Ole Miss in a bowl game. I'm sure you watched the Florida/Ole Miss game last year, did you seem to notice the bad playcalling that, in the end, ended up costing us another upset? I'm not saying Houston Nutt is the greatest, but he's certainly an improvement and capable of an upset.
from about 1 month ago
Your opinion is valid, but I stand firmly by my prediction. Ole Miss was awful last season and granted, a lot of it had to do with coaching. Houston Nutt is a terrific coach and he will turn the Ole Miss program around, but it's "absurd" to believe that Ole Miss will be a bowl team this season.
Ole Miss lost their two leading passers Seth Adams and Brent Schaeffer. You want to know who was third? Justin Sparks--the kicker. He had an eight yard completion, most likely from a fake field goal play.
Ole Miss also lost their top THREE rushers from 2007: BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Bruce Hall, and Brent Schaeffer. The trio I just mentioned accounted for 1,526 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
All in all, Ole Miss lost 3,083 of their 4,153 yards of total offesnsive yards and 24 of their 25 offensive touchdowns from a bad team in 2007. That's a majority of their offense, if I'm correct.
There is absolutely NO WAY that Ole Miss can even dream of a bowl game this year with a new starting quarterback, regardless of how good he is or what ESPN says. No team in the country can lose that kind of production and improve the following season.
I believe that your optimism is associated with being a fan of Ole Miss and that's understandable. Most of us tend to think that our team is better than they actually are. I hope Nutt turns the Rebels around quickly. I'd love to see Ole Miss be competitive in the SEC West again! It just won't happen this year
However, the beauty of this site is that you and I are free to express our opinions and I respect you for making yours known. I'm sure you have good reasoning to to believe that the Rebels will be on the cusp of a bowl game this season., but I just can't see it happening. Thanks for the feedback!
***The last couple of times Ole Miss beat the Gators (2002, 2003), we had a bad coach as well--Ron Zook. Zook is successful now at Illinois, but as the BCS title games from '07 and '06 have shown us, there's a big difference between the SEC and the Big Ten. Also, Ole Miss's quarterback was Eli Manning, one of the greatest SEC quarterbacks of all time and the defensding Super Bowl Champion. They're doing something right in the Manning family. Thanks again for reading!
from about 1 month ago
Here's the deal. You're looking at it as though we lost our "superstars".
We're upgrading very position. Jevan Snead is heads and shoulders better than Schaeffer and Adams. As for our RBs, I liked Ben Jarvis, but he was not a fast runner and feeded off a decent O-Line. We've replaced him with a FIVE star RB in Enrique Davis, and we also have Cordera Eason who's pretty decent as well.
You're making it look as though these guys were GREAT last season. If Jevan Snead would've been eligible to play, trust me, he would've started. We've actually upgraded a lot of positions. For the past three times we've played FL fans, all we can hear about is how we don't deserve to be on the field.
Ole Miss making a bowl game is not "absurd". We can beat Memphis, Samford, Vandy, Louisiana Monroe, and State (haven't defeated Ole Miss in Oxford in a decade) and throw ONE UPSET in there. Speaking of my "optimism", I know Florida is a great program, but your fans should know not to overlook Ole Miss. We had a HORRIBLE team last year and still almost defeated Florida, Alabama, Mississippi State, and beat LSU in EVERY category except the scoreboard.
If you take a look at last year's spring game compared to this year, it's almost uncomparable the attitude, the talent, and the execution from year to year.
It isn't like Jevan Snead's going to have to adjust ALL season. I saw a message board the other day where most Texas fans wish he would've stayed and Colt would've gotten the boot. Snead's a highly touted QB and Joe Schad reported on College Football Live that Snead "has one of the top 5 arms in college football". He proved it in the spring game when he was launching them in pre-game. Ole Miss hasn't seen a QB that good since Eli. As for the RB, BJGE was okay, but I really feel we're UPGRADED in that position as well.
Everywhere I've looked, a lot of fans are either REALLY buying Ole Miss can be a surprise, or really selling it. It's possible Ole Miss can make it to the bowl game. They have great talent Orgeron has brought in and now a great coaching staff to coach it. Don't be surprised if when you see the scoreboard on September 27th and it's a lot different than what you thought.
from about 1 month ago
"Don't be surprised if when you see the scoreboard on September 27th and it's a lot different than what you thought. "
Well, let's hope for the televison ratings, that the score is different than I expect it to be. I'm basing my score on what I've seen from both teams. I see improvement by both of Florida's offense and defense. Ole Miss, although they've improved, they've lost experience and will not have home fans to help them in this year's game.
"Here's the deal. You're looking at it as though we lost our "superstars"."
As for your leading producers, I never said they were "superstars." But, if the talent Orgeron brought in is as good as you say they are, why weren't his recruits playing last season over these "superstars?"
"Jevan Snead is heads and shoulders better than Schaeffer and Adams."
I agree. Jevan Snead is a VERY good quarterback, I believe that I mentioned that in my article. A team that went 0-8 in conference play, and lost their top producers (no matter how "untalented" they are), will have a hard time reaching a bowl game, no matter who is playing quarterback.
"I know Florida is a great program, but your fans should know not to overlook Ole Miss. We had a HORRIBLE team last year and still almost defeated Florida, Alabama, Mississippi State, and beat LSU in EVERY category except the scoreboard."
I'm not overlooking Ole Miss. I just don't think they'll be able to keep up with Gators in this years's contest.
By the way, doesn't the scoreboard matter the most? How you fare on the scoreboard gets you to the bowl game. The good teams are the ones that win on the scoreboard, despite occasionally performing poorly in other areas.
from about 1 month ago
Before I forget, I'm pretty sure that Ole Miss played Florida in 01 and 02, once when Ole Miss wasn't ranked and Florida was ranked #6.
"As for your leading producers, I never said they were "superstars." But, if the talent Orgeron brought in is as good as you say they are, why weren't his recruits playing last season over these "superstars?"
Jevan Snead was a transfer, he has to sit out a year. Enrique Davis is going to be a freshman, he spent a year at Hargrave maturing and got his grades up and now will be eligible to play this fall. These two are key players that are going to be major upgrades to a team last year that still almost defeated the Gators. It's not that they weren't good enough last year, Enrique was still committed to Auburn this time last year. Jevan Snead had to sit out.
"Ole Miss, although they've improved, they've lost experience and will not have home fans to help them in this year's game."
Okay let's take a look at this. You said Snead is an upgrade to Schaeffer, alright. You're still questioning that Enrique Davis will be an upgrade to BenJarvis, but when you have an All-American and All-SEC offensive lineman on both tackles, and both guards returning, your RBs are going to have success. BJGE was a hard runner, but he wasn't fast. Enrique Davis is a north-to-south downfield runner and was the #4 RB in his class in 2007 (under Joe McKnight, Noel Devine, and Mark Tyler, he's in good company right?)
Now, let's look at the receivers. Ole Miss returns all of them that caught over 310 yards on Florida's secondary last year, as Florida has improved so have they. They return receiver Mike Wallace who had a 77 yard reception on Florida's #1 corner last year and led the SEC in yards per catch (18.8). They also stole West Virginia's top recruit in February when 6'4 WR Andrew Harris decided to sign with Ole Miss. They also got a 6'7 WR out of Buford, GA in Melvin Harris. Just think if they caught 310 yards last year, even as you admitted, with a new QB what can they do?
Even if Florida has improved tons, you can't deny that Ole Miss hasn't. Playing them close last year was no joke. Florida will be looking ahead to LSU and won't even think about the Rebs, and I believe that can play into Ole Miss surprising them. To prove the depth Ole Miss has, WR Michael Hicks is going to transfer because of a lack of playing time during the spring, he was the leading receiver against Florida with 89 yards receiving. We even have a Bama on here defending Ole Miss. I'm not on here claiming they'll win, but they deserve more respect than a 42-10 defeat.
from about 1 month ago
Although, I still believe that Florida will win handily, I'll give it to you. You pose very good arguments and you have researched it well. That's a credit to you. Thanks for the discussion! I still believe that Ole Miss is a year away from a bowl game, but you make very good points and have changed my perception of Ole Miss football. Thanks for the feedback and keep reading!
about 1 month ago
Your article is extremely ignorant to Ole Miss' 2008 squad and their talents. And you show that by saying that "a .500 season is out of the question". This is a team that has a very realistic shot at making a bowl game this year and a lot of CREDIBLE (yes, that is a shot at you) journalist have them picked for a 7 win season.
And for you to say there is no way a team that took you to the wire last year can keep up with you this year, when all they have done is vastly improved their team and coaching, that is just absurd.
If you want to give realistic predictions and previews, thats great, but to do that you need to stop bathing in the Gator Kool Aid.
Also, another "Fun Fact" you should look at.... since the turn of the new millennium, Ole Miss holds the series record over Florida, 2-1. Just something you might want to think about, next time you say there is no way Ole Miss can even stay on the field with the Gators.
about 1 month ago
"This is a team that has a very realistic shot at making a bowl game this year and a lot of CREDIBLE (yes, that is a shot at you) journalist have them picked for a 7 win season."
That's your opinion and you're entitled, as am I. As for your shot at me, big deal. Just because I don't agree with you doesn't mean I'm not a "CREDIBLE" journalist. Of course, that all depends on what your definition of "CREDIBLE" journalism is.
By the way, I believe that "CREDIBLE" journalism is giving your OWN opinion, not imitating or taking the advice of an analyst on ESPN or at Fox Sports. I believe that Ole Miss will not finish with a .500 record this year.
If they do, I will give them credit and I will admit that they proved me wrong.
"...Gator Kool Aid."
The Gators are pretty good, last I checked. Florida finished 9-4 last season and they have a national title in this decade. Ole Miss, although they hold the upper hand on the Gators "since the turn of the new millennium," haven't been too successful, sans the Eli Manning years.
However, I'm not here to discredit the Ole Miss football program. Transition years are rough and Ole Miss, like many other college programs through the years (including Florida...many times) have had to go through rough times before they improve.
Ole Miss, in my opinion, will not become a bowl team overnight, or in just one year. This team needs to hold its own in the SEC before it can talk a bowl game.
However, if they do prove me wrong, I'll admit my ignorance. Until then, I stand by my opinion.
from about 1 month ago
You're talking about having an independent mind, not being a credible journalist. It doesn't take anyone who reads this article objectively quick to realize that you're a Florida homer. And that's your right, but I wouldn't expect people to take me seriously if I were you.
I'm not saying you should copy Fox and ESPN, because being an independent journalist is good, but there you aren't just being independent, you're being ignorant.
And if you really don't see that (which I think you do, you just don't want to admit it) there is no point in even trying to carry out a conversation with you.
I really don't have a dog in this fight, just an objective voice of reason.
about 1 month ago
All I am seeing with these comments is how improved Ole Miss will be this upcoming 2008 season. I hope that they do improve because I want all SEC teams to do well, but this game shouldn't be close. Last year Ole Miss was able to keep it closer than anyone thought they could, but lets remember it was the first SEC away game for a very young Florida team. The Gators should be running on all cylinders by the 4th game of the season, and the improvements Florida has made in the running game and on defense will outweigh the improvements of a young Ole Miss team. As improved as Ole Miss may be they will have a difficult time shutting down the many weapons of Florida's offense in The Swamp. I wish good luck to Ole Miss throughout their season, but I just can't see this being close.
from about 1 month ago
There is a big difference in between being "close" and losing by 32.
This was just blunt homerism.
I don't think Ole Miss will win this game, in fact I don't think they will be within single digits, but I don't think I'd pick them to lose by three touchdowns, especially not 32 points. Ole Miss' offense just looks to powerful to only be held to 10 points. Not to mention Florida will be coming off a road game to Tennessee while Ole Miss has Vandy at home the week before.
Who do you think we be in better shape physically.
This could be a blow out. Florida has the power to do it. I just don't see that happening. And I would be SHOCKED if Florida holds them to 10 points and beats them by 30+.
We'll see though. Just one more month!
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