The Grove Bracket: (3) Michael Oher v. (6) Jerrell Powe

by Ivory Tower on Jun 2, 2010 11:00 AM EDT

The clash of the titans. Jerrell Powe and Michael Oher have provided outstanding athletic accomplishments and memorable cultural fodder to Ole Miss fans for the last five years. Oher established himself as a force in college and now in the NFL. Powe seems destined to do the same.

What makes Jerrell Powe greater than Michael Oher? While Oher's story has been made a movie, Jerrell's odyssey to Ole Miss could make just as compelling a motion picture (or maybe a documentary about an over zealous NCAA). Powe will enter 2010 as a preseason All America selection and a potential first rounder. To top it all off he leads the unit for which Ole Miss has become best known in the Nutt era. Of course, he has one nagging drawback when it comes to this competition: he didn't spend one full season during the decade in question as a starter for the Rebels. When all is said and done, Powe might be a more fitting candidate to be the Red Cup Rebel of the Next Decade.

Jerrellpowecottontie_medium

At the same time, how can you say, "no" to that face?

What makes Michael Oher greater than Jerrell Powe? Besides being an All American first round draft pick whose absence proved to be the most gaping hole the Rebels could not fill in 2009, Michael Oher smashes the competition in the category of "pop culture." The Blind Side gave Ole Miss great exposure, and Oher is a top-notch ambassador for the program.

As always, voting ends Saturday at Midnight Eastern Time.

Poll

Red Cup Rebel of the Decade

(3) Michael Oher

91 votes

(6) Jerrell Powe

80 votes

171 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Hmmm...

Positive national exposure, an Oscar, and lest we forget if it weren’t for Oher we wouldn’t have gotten brilliant acting debuts from Coaches Nutt and O…

…vs. countless “we recruited an illiterate kid” jokes.*

*I like Powe, but be honest, you got sick of the jokes too.

Yes, I live in Starkville...WHO did I piss off in a past life?

by Queen Hoka-Hotty-Toddy on Jun 2, 2010 11:07 AM EDT reply actions

While Powe is very near and dear to my heart (I have a collection of MS Paints in his honor)

This one is a no-brainer. Oher’’s four years in Oxford will have an everlasting effect on the Ole Miss football and its culture. People who had never heard of Ole Miss now recognize the name because of the movie. Nutt has already commented on the impact the movie has had in recruiting – especially with the mommas ’nem.

I forget who is in what bracket, but I hope things are set up to allow for an Eli vs. Oher championship. That’s going to be a tough one.

by ssmund on Jun 2, 2010 11:52 AM EDT reply actions