***Programming Note: I was in Gainesville this past weekend for the Florida/Tennessee game and caught whatever bug Urban Meyer was talking about that has been going around the UF campus. (Take that, Lane Kiffin!) I’m still tinkering with the format here but you can rest assure that next week will feature more continuous coverage throughout the week.***
(Rankings courtesy of AP Top 25; Point spreads courtesy of wsex.com)
#4 Ole Miss Rebels (2-0) (-4) at South Carolina Gamecocks ( 2-1) (7:30 PM ET, Thursday, ESPN)
This is one of those games where you throw your hands up in the air and say, “your guess is as good as mine!”
Ole Miss comes into the game riding an awful lot of offseason hype but they have not yet been tested. Yes, they took care of business in their two games against Memphis and Southeastern Louisiana, winning by a combined score of 97-20, but neither team is anywhere near the level of tonight’s opponent.
Meanwhile, South Carolina plays arguably the toughest schedule in America. The Gamecocks opened the season by winning at North Carolina State (7-3) and came up just short on the road against #21 Georgia (41-37) the following week. Last week, Carolina defeated a respectable Florida Atlantic team in their home opener (38-16). Ole Miss represents the first of three opponents for SC who are currently ranked in the top 5 (10/17 @ #3 Alabama; 11/14 vs. #1 Florida).
As for tonight’s action, the key matchup will be the Ole Miss offense against the South Carolina defense. Don’t be surprised if you hear the name of South Carolina LB Eric Norwood a great deal. The two-time All-SEC First Team linebacker is the SEC’s active leader in career sacks (26.0) and career tackles for loss (47.0). Combine his presence with a shaky Mississippi offensive line and that spells trouble for the Rebels. As a team, the Gamecocks are tied for 11th in the nation in sacks with 10 and rank 15th in total defense (249.33 ypg). On the other side of the ball, Ole Miss ranks third in the nation in points (48.5 ppg) and 21st in rushing yards (216.0 ypg). Mississippi QB Jevan Snead, a Heisman hopeful, is yet to really get things going and and should have his rhythm disrupted a great deal. If Snead can get the protection he needs, the Rebels may be able to escape with an impressive victory on the road.
Ole Miss may come
into this matchup the better team but the deck is stacked against them. Having to play on the road against a team that has faced far superior competition, with an abbreviated week to prepare for them, does not bode well for the Rebels. Expect both teams to score in the teens and do not be surprised if South Carolina pulls off the upset.
Final Score: South Carolina 17, Ole Miss 13
