[ED: This post is sponsored by EA Sports.]
It's the final day of SNB's week-long, college network-wide "Where I Come From" series. Today, we've been asked to write about our expectations for the upcoming season as Rebel fans and bloggers. We're going to keep it brief and steer clear of records, schedule, breakdowns, depth charts, and all of the other things you should expect to see here in a month or so, opting instead to just give you a few sentences apiece on what we think should define this year in Rebel football.
So, Ivory tower, what say you?
I will say that I expect a return to the post-season. I expect to be competitive against every team we play. I do not expect, as some may, a 2002-esque 5-1 start that turns into a 6-6 finish. I expect Brandon Bolden to return to his freshman year form that got so many of us excited. Finally, and most audaciously, I expect to beat every team on our schedule that has "State" in their name.
You "will" say that, or you are saying that? Brian Walker's Elbow, your thoughts?
The year will more than likely not end with 9 wins, but I think ole' Houston has a 6 or 7 win campaign up his sleeve. I suspect that Randall Mackey will be the break-out play-maker on the team regardless of where the coaches decide to use him on the field. One really important thing for me that was not that important until last season: beat the fire out of Dan Mullen's Scrubs from Starkville. It is infuriating that we have to listen to that wanna be redneck run his mouth all of the time.
Whiskey Wednesday, what are your expectations for the upcoming season.
Ghost, stop bothering me. Seriously.
Whatever. Deal with this: my expectations. And, yes, I'm gonna blockquote myself.
I expect a defense we can once again be proud of. I expect a return to the postseason. I expect a bunch of stupid bullshit to come out of State and Arkansas fans. I expect a quarterback who won't be flashy or all-SEC caliber, but also won't be a gut-wrenching disappointment. I expect good times in the Grove, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Knoxville.
One Man to Beat?
Cotton should be king again in Mississippi. Raymond Cotton, currently the second string QB for the Rebels, will take over the starting job before the end of the year. Quite possibly the most athletic QB at Ole Miss in a decade. The combination of a great front seven stopping teams from amassing time of possession and a strong running game with a stable of four to five capable backs means more wins than most people will expect.
Interesting approach. I wonder how many folks will agree with that. Not that we wouldn't welcome it, it's just something I imagine few would expect. And, finally, Juco.
I'm predicting more doom and gloom than most fans with whom I speak. I think we'll struggle heavily to pass the ball, maybe doing as poorly as we did while Brent Schaeffer was at Ole Miss. The running game isn't as good as people want to believe it is either. If we win a good number of games this year, it's because the defense has potential to be fantastic. I don't think we'll have as much trouble in the secondary as people seem to believe we will, but I'm also not sure the defense will be good enough to make up for the poor field position supplied for them by the offense. We should be happy with a bowl.
Thanks, Juco.
So, you, reader, what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Feel free to frivolously use blockquotes in your replies.