As many of the FotC know, I tend to be a realist, and it typically comes out a little negative when talking about Ole Miss Baseball. As all of the Rebels digest the football loss on Thursday night, BWE will try to shed a realist, positive light on the future of the 2009 Rebels.
BWE the positive one... Who knew?
The Rebels began the 2009 campaign with a overload of hype stemming to the strong finish of 2008. After disappointing performances against Southeastern LA and Memphis, and an offensive self destruction against SC, many Rebel faithful have mailed it in. NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND.
Think back to 2003. The Rebels struggle with Vanderbilt but sneak by 24-21. A week later, Ole Miss falls to MEMPHIS by giving up 23 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Think about this: Tommy West's team beat an Ole Miss teamed let by qb Eli Manning. Ever heard of him? Exactly. The Rebels recovered the following week by hosting ULM. We then hosted Texas Tech and got out gunned 49-45.
The depression had set in. Fans were blaming David Cutcliffe for being too boring and conservative. For going for field goals instead of touch downs. The Rebels were 2-2 and tanking.
Let's stop and think for a second. We know that Houston Nutt is now our coach. How have his teams handled adversity in the past? In 2001, his Razorbacks stumbled to begin the season, but they recovered to win six of their last seven. In 2002, they finished the season with five straight wins. In 2006, they were whipped 50-14 by USC in the opener. They proceeded to win ten straight games and make an appearance in the SEC championship game. How many Rebels would have faith in their squad if they lost the opener by 36 points?
Need I remind you of Nutt's 2008 squad that won six straight to finish the season after a 3-4 start?
Now, let's finish the story of the 2003 Rebels. They went on to finish 9-3 (7-1 SEC). From 2-2, they took off and won big. That's a good season, right?
Here's the point: many of the faithful are heartbroken by the loss on Thursday. Yes, it is heartbreaking. However, it isn't the end of the world for us. Early losses didn't doom the aforementioned squads. Nutt will right the ship.
How bad did Oregon look to begin the season? Their qb, Jeremiah Masoli, was awful, and their rb, LeGarrette Blount, was essentially kicked off the team. They recovered to whip #6 California by using a potent offense.
If you are worried about Jevan Snead, stop. If you are worried about our coaching, stop. If you have given up, DON'T. There's still plenty of season left, and the SEC West championship must still come through Oxford. I'm looking at you LSU and Bama.
The turnaround began on Friday at practice. Let's rally behind our team and focus on Vandy in Nashville. Hotty Toddy!