Dominant Ole Miss Defense Will Give Alabama Its Toughest Game Yet

The SEC isn't always pretty, but Ole Miss showed on Saturday that they don't care. The show that the Rebels defense put on against the Memphis Tigers proves that when they take on the Alabama Crimson Tide next week, they'll be ready for the fight of their lives. 

Though the Ole Miss offense struggled for the first three quarters, the defense, which can be considered the best in the nation, helped the Rebels walk away with a 24-3 win.

Wallace struck gold early in the game, connecting with Laquon Treadwell for a 63-yard touchdown just three minutes into the game to take a 7-0 lead for the Rebels. Memphis tacked on a field goal later in the first quarter, then it wasn't until the fourth quarter that the Rebels finally started clicking offensively. 

Ultimately, it was Ole Miss's defense that produced some truly amazing numbers Saturday. 

The Tigers, who scored 35 points against then-No. 11 UCLA in their second game, were limited to just that field goal. They went 3-of-16 on third downs and racked up a measly 23 yards rushing on 31 carries. 

That's business as usual for the Rebels defense. They give up just 8.5 points per game and, heading into this week, gave up just 375 yards of offense per game. That number is sure to skydive after allowing just 104 to the Tigers. 

Though in the past the SEC West has traditionally gone through Tuscoloosa, Ole Miss would like nothing more than to change that destination to tiny Oxford, Mississippi

The Tide have yet to be tested like the Rebels have. Ole Miss already has blowout wins against two competitive opponents in Boise State and Vanderbilt, while Alabama's best win is against West Virginia, a jump start yet otherwise middle-of-the-road Big 12 squad. 

The Big Blue Wall of Ole Miss is certainly on a higher level than the Mountaineers.  

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It's true, Alabama's offense has rolled offensively to start the year, averaging 42 points per game. And its defense has only given up 14. 

But Bo Wallace—like it or not—is the best and most experienced quarterback the Tide will be facing up to this point. 

Can Wallace be careless with the ball? His two interceptions against Memphis and six on the season seem to indicate that. 

Alabama's weakness defensively is in the secondary, though. While the Tide entered Week 5 ranked No. 1 in total defense, they are just 27th against the pass despite facing mediocre passing attacks. 

Against West Virginia, Clint Trickett torched the Alabama secondary to the tune of 375 yards. More importantly, the Mountaineers hung 23 points on the board and lost by just 10. 

Ole Miss won't give up 33 points. You'll be lucky to get 20 on them, especially with how slow both Freeze and Saban operate offensively. 

In 2013, according to 247sports, the Rebels' recruiting class ranked eighth nationally thanks largely in part to guys like Robert Nkemdiche, safety Tony Conner and defensive tackle Lavon Hooks. All these guys have made an impact on this defense, and this class was built for next week's tilt. 

So how does Ole Miss beat Alabama next week? 

Winning the turnover battle and forcing the Tide into mistakes—like the massive amount of penalty yards they forced on the Tigers today—is a big start. Containing Amari Cooper—because you can't truly stop Cooper—is another big step. 

Ultimately, the Rebels just have to let the defense show out and force an untested Blake Sims to make plays against hands down the toughest defense the Tide will face arguably all season. 

It'll be tough against Alabama, who have 10 straight wins against the Rebels and have won 21 of the last 23 meetings. But if this Ole Miss defense can give Wallace enough time to find a comfort zone like they did against Memphis, the Rebels will have an outstanding shot at knocking off the Tide.