Bleacher Report - Articles by James Clark

Did Ole Miss Win a National Championship for the Florida Gators?

James Clark — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:36:02 -0400

The months of June and July are among the two worst months of the year for a College Football fan. Spring practices have concluded and the only headlines are usually bearing bad news such as arrest reports or recruiting violations.

Here at SEC Nation, I only have one solution and that is to propose a controversial and argumentative subject and invite discussion. So, let’s do that.

I propose to you fans the question: Do you think that the Ole Miss Rebels won a National Championship for the Florida Gators last season?

Wow, the screams are deafening. I can hear all of you now saying: “Didn’t Ole Miss almost destroy Florida’s hopes for a National Championship by upsetting the Gators in The Swamp last September?” The answer to that question is a resounding yes, but is it possible that a symbiotic relationship was formed between these two teams?

We all know about the inspirational postgame speech delivered by Tim Tebow after the Sept. 27 loss to the Rebels. We also know that the Florida football team has immortalized his words by placing them on a plaque located at the front entrance to the football facility at Florida Field.

Whether you think they worked or not is irrelevant, the fact that the Gators ran the table in their remaining games, including the SEC Championship Game and the BCS National Championship Game is proof that Tebow meant what he said.

The motivation provided by the home loss to the Rebels is not all that I meant when I said that Ole Miss won the championship for the Gators though.

The loss dropped Florida from a No. 4 national ranking down to 12th in the AP Poll and 13th in the Coaches Poll. Florida would have to win games to repair the damage, but the Gators would not benefit if the Rebels went on a losing spree.

Using whop-sided victories over Arkansas and LSU, the Gators were able to move up in the polls the next two weekend’s despite rebound losses by the Rebels to South Carolina and Alabama. At this point the Gators are taking care of business and doing the only thing that they could do to control their destiny: winning games convincingly and delivering on Tebow’s promise.

It is at this time that Ole Miss begins to validate Florida’s loss to them. Beginning on Oct. 25, the Rebels begin an impressive winning streak of their own which will culminate with a 47–34 victory over Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl.

When Ole Miss enters the AP Poll at 25th in the nation during the week 13 poll after an impressive road win in Baton Rouge over LSU, Oklahoma also takes Texas Tech to the woodshed this same weekend so this opens up the No. 2 national ranking for the Florida Gators to slide on into.

The Gators will make good on the promises made by Tebow by continuing their winning ways over Florida State and is poised for victory the next weekend over Alabama in the SEC Championship game. All that winning by Florida guaranteed them a shot at the BCS National Title. All that winning by Ole Miss assured the nation that the one loss suffered by Florida was not a cheap one.

Now all of this doesn’t prove that the Rebels won the championship for Florida, but there is really no way to tell what would have happened to Florida in the eyes of the pollsters if Ole Miss had not finished so strong.

Once again SEC Nation, this is just offseason fodder for the SEC football nut. I never said I agreed with the idea, only that I wanted to stir up a good old SEC discussion. What say you?

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The SEC Bans Oversigning...But Why?

James Clark — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:34:50 -0400

Since the conclusion of the SEC spring meetings in Destin, Florida last week, the main topic of discussion has been the Southeastern Conference adopting a rule that will limit a schools signing class to only 28 LOI's. I have read a ton of blogs and have offered a few comments on some, but I feel it is time for me to weigh in on the record here at SEC Nation.

I do not agree with this new rule, in fact I will go as far as to say I vehemently despise this rule. Here is why. The NCAA already has a rule in place that will limit the amount of scholarship players that a school may add in a calendar year at 25. Why do we feel that any more legislation is necessary? Why this year?

I am not a "Conspiracy" theorist. In fact I usually try to tamp down any talks of conspiracy against one school or another. One of my "Faithful" friends is completely convinced that the acronym NCAA means National Committee Against Alabama. I have, on occasion, tried to dissuade this opinion. Alas, I am thinking of joining him. Why? Because I see black helicopters circling the Ole Miss 2009 signing class.

In 2004, LSU signed 29 players, Arkansas signed 32(Houston Nutt, but not Ole Miss), Alabama signed 28. In 2005, Alabama's No. 16(Scout) ranked recruiting class saw 30 LOI's signed.

Both Tennessee and South Carolina over-signed that year as well. In 2007, Tennessee signed 32 players and had their recruiting class ranked No. 4 by Scout.com. Auburn singed 30 and South Carolina signed 31 as well, earning both classes a Scout ranking of No. 6 and No. 7 respectively.

After a coaching change, the 2008 Alabama signing class was at 32 and ranked No. 1, none of this over-signing provoked a rule change.

Not until Houston Nutt signs 37 in 2009 for the University of Mississippi does the SEC think it needs to legislate change in the recruiting numbers. Nutt may have seen this coming because he inquired about the number of recruits he could sign from the Universities Compliance Officer and the NCAA.

I know that the 2009 Ole Miss signing class was the largest in recent history, but it was not against any rule. Why do you have to make one?

Is the SEC out to get Ole Miss? I will not go there yet, but I do have theory beginning to take shape in my head.

When you are presented with a chance to sign a four or five star blue-chip athlete, you just about have to offer him a scholarship. If you do not give him an offer, the Nick Saban's and Les Miles' will. Better yet, Bobby Bowden and Mack Brown will, and Bowden/Brown have no rule to stop them from over-signing.

I ask the fans of the Southeastern Conference: Does dominating the National Championship picture over the past three years give cause enough for the Conference to attempt to level the playing field with the rest of the Nation?

This rule should have come from the NCAA, not the SEC. If no other conference adopts this rule or something similar, we are handicapping our chances to continue being the dominant conference in America.

Come on SEC Nation...Chime in on this subject. Let me know what you think.

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Ole Miss Fans: Pull Back on The Reigns a Little Bit

James Clark — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:12:48 -0400

Everywhere I look on the internet, I am seeing stories about the 2009 Ole Miss Rebels; Almost every pre-season poll has Ole Miss in its top 10.

This is all great news for this Rebel fan, since I was just a baby when my Rebels were last mentioned in these conversations, yet I want to urge all Rebel fans to use caution when building your own pre-season poll in your hearts.

There is no doubt that outside of the Florida Gators, no other SEC team returns a better nucleus of talent from their previous season, but that doesn’t always translate into what we want it to. It has been discussed at lengths by every blogger on the World Wide Web that Ole Miss will have a target on their back this year.

The Rebs will no longer be the hunter but will become the hunted. Some schools perform better from the underdog position and recent history has shown Ole Miss to be no different.

It is my opinion that a team packed full of talent, operating under a “nothing to lose” attitude can pull off some very unlikely wins. However the 2009 Ole Miss Rebels will have a lot to lose. For a change, Alabama and LSU can be coming to Oxford with the least to lose.

If the Rebels are not running on all eight cylinders then the season could turn to heartbreak for Reb fans all over the Magnolia state.

Another reason for wanting to pull back on the reigns of Rebel mania a little bit will be the other SEC schools on the schedule. While I will be the first to admit that Ole Miss has one of the best schedules that one could hope for in the SEC, you can’t dismiss the fact that they have to play Alabama, LSU, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt.

Those are just the 2008 Bowl teams that are on the Rebel schedule. There are also conference match-ups with Auburn, Arkansas, Tennessee, and the always unpredictable Egg Bowl against Mississippi State.

I am sure that these teams will have a ton to say about whether Ole Miss wins the West and goes to Atlanta for the Conference Championship game. They certainly are not going to read all the stories and say “Well Ole Miss has already won! We might as well stay here in Tuscaloosa."

No, that is not going to happen, they are going to play the games and if there is one thing I have learned from a lifetime of following the SEC, is that anytime two SEC teams meet on the gridiron, either of them can win.

I do not want to sound like I am not buying into the hype.

I also don’t want to sound like I don’t think the 2009 Rebels have a golden opportunity, but I do want to caution against building your hopes up to a total frenzy. This does nothing to help your team in my opinion, because if a loss occurs, then the fan base scrambles and thinks that all of their expectations were wrong. This of course translates into negative feelings toward the team. I just don’t see how this helps to win more games.

I am enjoying being in the conversation, but I just want to keep it all in perspective. I want Ole Miss to be a goal oriented team. Set your goals in the order in which you must achieve them.

First things first, you have to beat Memphis, then Southeastern Louisiana, and so on. Of course October 10^th looms large on the Rebel horizon but don’t forget the trip the weekend before, to Nashville. Win the West and then worry about the SEC.

Let’s play one game at a time Rebel fans.

I have faith in our coaches to keep our team grounded, but what is out there to keep our fan base from insanity? A strong fan base with realistic expectations will not weaken after a loss, but will rally behind their team.

Let’s be that fan base and let our last Hotty Toddy be as loud as our first.

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Examining The McCluster Factor

James Clark — Tue, 12 May 2009 09:09:06 -0400

Dexter McCluster is a name that is probably not being talked about outside of the SEC, except maybe in a few late January meetings in Lubbock Texas. Inside the SEC though is another story. At 5’-8” and 165 pounds, McCluster is the little player that could for the Ole Miss Rebels.

First I will start with the obvious, the statistics. As the quarterback in the “Wild Rebel” formation, McCluster churned out 655 yards rushing last season for an average of a little over six yards per carry. This may not sound like a lot of rushing yards but considering that Ole Miss spread out the rushing duties between four regular running backs and a plethora of others getting touches, it begins to look like a monster number. Throw in that Ole Miss was second in the SEC in rushing yards per game and third in the SEC in total rushing yards, it is clear to see that McCluster is part of a potent rushing attack.

Dexter is not a running back though, he is a wide receiver, so let’s take a look at some receiving numbers. McCluster was third on the team in receiving yards with 44 catches for 625 yards and a touchdown. Ole Miss was the fourth team in passing yards per game in the conference and they return almost the entire receiving corps except Mike Wallace.

McCluster’s 1280 total yards in 2008 places him in seventh place in the SEC for all purpose yards, and accounts for almost 25 percent of Ole Miss’ 5296 total yards in 2008. One man standing just a mere 5’-8” is responsible for one fourth of the third-best offense in the SEC. Numbers are boring though, when examining Dexter’s impact on the Ole Miss Football team you have to look for something other than stats. In some coaching circles, it could be called an “X” factor, to me it is the "McCluster factor".

I really wish I could put my finger on it and relay to you what or how this kid does what he does, I can’t do that though. Is it his uncanny vision of the field? I don’t know about that since I already told you he was only 5’-8” tall, how can he see the field so good? Is it his speed? His slipperiness? All of those things help, but it is my opinion that the McCluster factor is more than that.

I am going to go out on a limb and state my reason for the McCluster Factor. It is a personality thing. It is something inside him that makes him want to always do better. Dexter has never once made excuses for any of his mistakes, he just goes out onto the practice field and gets better. At the beginning of 2008 Dexter could not hold onto the football, he fumbled so often that this fan was almost scared to see him get the ball, but he fixed it. How did he fix it? His attitude towards practice and learning fixed it. By the end of the 2008 season there wasn’t a fan in the stands that wasn’t anxiously anticipating the next time Dex got his hands on the ball. We wanted to know just what he would do next.

The rest of the nation got to see the McCluster factor in the AT&T Cotton Bowl, where Dexter was awarded the Sanford Trophy for the Outstanding Offensive Player of the Game with his 180 total yard performance. I will be interested to see how opposing defenses key on Dexter for the 2009 season, with him you have to allow for so many variables that he is a preparation nightmare for Defensive Coordinators.

I may not be able to exclaim “Eureka” with my analysis of the McCluster factor, but the truth sure can’t be found on a statistics sheet. It is in his heart. Any fan that has any knowledge of the game at all can watch him on the field and see that he just wants to be there. Dexter McCluster is exactly who I think of when I think of team players. He puts the well being of the team far above his own stats, but in doing so he gets the most out of it.

Will Dex make it to the next level? My answer to that is if Warrick Dunn can make it in professional football then I think Dexter McCluster will as well. Can Dexter help bring a Southeastern Conference Championship to Oxford? The answer to that is a passionate yes. Dexter McCluster is a champion spark-plug, a die-hard battery, the Energizer Bunny, and the Little Engine That Could all rolled into one for the Ole Miss Rebels. No doubt about it. Until Next Time....Hotty Toddy!

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Keys To Ole Miss Victory In 2009

James Clark — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:55:33 -0400

For Ole Miss to make a run at the Southeastern Conference Championship a perfect storm of circumstances must collide. I have been pondering for weeks all the things that will have to go right for the Rebels and they are way too many to list, but I have narrowed down my choices to a few keys to victory.

Confidence in Oxford is at it's highest in decades. In fact I would have to say that it has not been this high since the 1970 season when all expectations were on Archie Manning carrying the Rebs to a fourth National Championship and winning the Heisman Trophy.

A poor performance against Mississippi Southern resulting in an early season loss coupled with Archie breaking his arm against Houston three weeks later and those hopes were dashed.

So that brings me to my first Key to victory and I believe this one just might make it onto everyone’s list....

#1. Injury Free Football:
The Rebels have one of the best returning casts in all of College Football, with only a few gaps to fill, but with those gaps coming at key positions such as Left Tackle and Nose Guard. The Rebels will have to stay healthy to compete in the SEC.

I do believe we have the best strength & conditioning program, headed up by Don Decker, in the Conference. This is not just bold ramblings here, I think it can easily be seen by the way we constantly rotated in players last year but had hardly any injuries.

In other words lots of players playing, but none were getting hurt. Depth helps, but being well conditioned is the key to playing Injury Free Football.

#2. Jevan Keeps On Jivin'
Game 1 in 2008, Jevan Snead has a good game, his passing was a little under where we wanted it, but he did toss two touchdowns and more importantly he didn't turn the ball over. Over the next 5 games Jevan threw ten interceptions, four in the Vanderbilt loss alone.

Both the INT's against Wake Forest led to Deacon points and the Rebs only lost by two. Take away those turnovers and you are looking at a 10-2 or possibly an 11-1 regular season mark for 2008.

The way Jevan Snead turned on in the latter part of the 2008 season is in the eyes of this Rebel fan a miraculous thing. Six game winning streak, only five interceptions over a seven game period, 18 touchdowns during that seven game period.

All of this is what we expected him to do all year. Snead will be a junior in 2009 and all he has to do is just keep on keeping on. He has a great start, his spring game stats were amazing—11/15 for 254 Yards. 3 Touchdown throws & No Interceptions. Jevan just needs to keep Jivin'.

#3. Brandon Bolden:
Houston Nutt has always been known for having some stud running backs. Brandon Bolden has the opportunity to be another one of those backs.

Brandon just has a knack for gaining yardage. At 220 Lbs, he reminds me a lot of Deuce McAllister.

Bolden will have a few 100 yard games, but I am more concerned with having a back that I can ask in the huddle if he can get me this long two that we are looking at to move the sticks, and his answer would be "Yes". We all know that in the SEC, moving the sticks and playing ball control wins games.

That is exactly how Ole Miss defeated the #7 team in the country in the Cotton Bowl, we kept their offense off the field. Brandon will get a lot of help from a stable of hosses such as senior Cordera Eason, sophomore Enrique Davis, and Devin Thomas, so he should be able to remain fresh and be a yard getter for the Rebels. If Bolden has a great year, Ole Miss will too.

#4. Jerrell Powe
This guy has the outright ability to be a great player. With the Rebels losing All American Peria Jerry, they will need a big body to plug up the holes that Jerry lived in last season.

A big body is exactly what Powe is; Listed at 6'-2" & 340 Lbs, no offensive lineman will be able to just push him around. Powe has been slimming down during the spring and that can only help him with his stamina.

If he can keep his wind, Jerrell will be a huge key for stopping the run and disrupting the passing game of opposing offenses. I for one think he will do what it takes to remain on the field.

I judge this by the journey he went through just to get to Ole Miss. Powe worked his butt off for three years to get his academics up to where they needed to be for admission.

Some kids might give you that kind of commitment for one year, but three? This kid has fortitude and will be the biggest key for the success of the Ole Miss defense.

#5. Dexter McCluster
I really don't have many words that can accurately describe what this kid does for the Ole Miss football team. I will say this though, when trying to compare him to other great players, the name Warrick Dunn comes to mind.

At 5'-8" and only a mere 165 lbs, McCluster is easily the smallest player on the team—the depth chart actually lists a Richie Contartesi[WR] as being 2 lbs lighter), but Dex is in almost every offensive play. I don't know how else to explain it other than just to say that Dex is something special. You just know that every time he has the ball that something great is about to happen.

I have a story from the 2008 game against ULM. We watched Dex get the ball and sweep to the right sideline only to see a huge host of ULM defenders.

Now almost everyone in the stands is thinking, most are screaming for McCluster to lower his head, protect the ball and try to get a few yards out of it, but he reverses his field and runs left, the whole stadium is screaming "NO!" but he breaks it and runs for a huge gain—I have actually taken a few naps since this game, part of me wants to say he scored, but I actually think he ran it down to around the 10 yard line. That is the McCluster factor.

Dexter had the fumbleitis early in the season, but he corrected it, that is what leaders do. This year will be his senior season, and there isn't a Rebel fan anywhere that isn't expecting big things from this small package.

#6. Deaf Ears & Blind Eyes
Ok, I have named four players that I believe to be keys to Ole Miss victory in '09, but here is another abstract key. Last year the Rebels were picked to finish last in the SEC west, this year the pundits are going the other way.

Some say 1st, some say 2nd, but nonetheless they are all picking Ole Miss to be great this year. Hype is for the fans.

Let us discuss amongst ourselves all the polls, and predictions. The team has to maintain deaf ears and blind eyes at the SportsCenters and Sports writers of the world.

The 2008 Rebels got to where they were because they didn't listen to the media, they just kept on with their daily regimen of work and determination. The motto of the team was "One Heartbeat" and that needs to continue on into 2009.

Take one game at a time, prepare as hard as you possibly can, stay focused, and just don’t listen to what the media is saying.

Ok Rebel Fans! I have given you six keys that I believe will be the determining factors in 2009. Of course we all know there has to be a perfect storm of "Keys" to win championships, but these are at the top of my list.

What say you Rebel Fans? ARE YOU READY?

Ole Miss Football: New Territory in 2009

James Clark — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:23:12 -0400

I am a 40-year-old Ole Miss Rebel Fan.

During these 40 years I have seen many autumns approach with great anticipation, and rumblings in and around sporting circles as to the state of affairs in the Ole Miss football program.

Folks, I am here to tell you that I have not ever witnessed the kind of excitement that I am presently seeing.

Oh, I have heard all the fun stories by my Dad about the glory days of the 1950s and '60s, but I have never personally witnessed this kind of excitement.

Is all this talk of pre-season top 10 just that....talk? Are we setting ourselves up for a huge let down?

I don't think so, here's why.

It has been said many times that defense wins championships. But I have also heard that the best defense is a good offense, and Rebel fans, make no bones about it, we have a great offense.

Jevan Snead threw for 2762 yards as a Sophomore. He threw for 26 touchdowns versus only 13 interceptions—10 of those interceptions came in the first half of the season. Following the narrow loss to Alabama, Jevan only threw three more interceptions and led his team on a 6-0 winning streak.

Jevan will be back and stronger than ever. Snead may be without Mike Wallace, but with the returning host of receiving talent he does have, I predict Jevan will not miss a beat.

In fact, in the annual Grove Bowl, Jevan led the Blue (1st Team) offense on six touchdown drives, three of which were passing touchdowns. The longest passing TD of the day was to Markeith Summers for 70 yards. All in all, Jevan finished the Red/Blue game 11-for-15, 254 yards with three touchdowns. Not too shabby.

I dont want to sound like it is just the Jevan Snead show. He has a complete academy award winning cast of players surrounding him.

Yes, the receiving corps loses it's 2008 leading receiver, but looking down the list, you would have to go all the way to the Rebels ninth leading receiver to find another Senior.

Returning are Shay Hodge, Dexter McCluster, and Lionel Breaux, who are 1, 2, and 3 respectively. As mentioned earlier, Markeith Summers is also in the mix as well as Gerald Harris. The receiving corps of the 2009 Ole Miss Rebels is a very deep unit.

Ole Miss also has a herd of thoroughbreds returning in the running game. I would expect for Brandon Bolden and Cordera Eason to get most of the carries, but fresh legs will not be a problem.

Looking down the 2008 rushing stats, you will have to go all the way to 14th to find a senior running back (Jason Cook). The Rebs' leading rusher was the dynamic wide receiver Dexter McCluster, and he will again be suiting up for the Red & Blue this year. This kid is so special, I personally got to watch him play last year, and you just never know what to expect when McCluster gets the ball. Dex may be small, but wow, he is the real deal.

The offensive line is the question mark, but Bradley Sowell, using a spring camp demotion as motivation, has came along nicely.

Moreover, joining the Rebels this fall will be four-star recruit Bobby Massie. There will be some good competition for the left tackle position, but it is a position that I believe the coaches will have an answer for come fall. To ease the pressure on that left tackle position, I also look for some new wrinkles to be added to the very popular "Wild Rebel" formation.

I would like to also take a brief moment to touch on the defensive unit. Losing Peria Jerry will hurt, but with studs like Jerrell Powe in the mix, I feel that the DL will stuff the run and wreak complete havoc on opposing passing games.

Hopefully with a healthy Greg Hardy and the ever-present menace Kentrell Lockett, this defensive line can be very good.

I apologize for the length of this article, it's just that when you start looking at the state of affairs for Ole Miss football right now, it is just not a short story it is a novel of the War & Peace variety.

In future articles I will break down each part of the Ole Miss football team, but for now, I wanted to give a brief—however long it may be—preview.