The Battle For the Golden Egg

The two schools began playing for the Egg Bowl Trophy in

1927 though they had met before then as well

Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the best week college football has to offer year in and year out! It is officially Rivalry Week! A week where the hatred is the most evident thing among fans and plyers alike. I love Thanksgiving but it takes a backseat to the great rivalry games we get to watch this coming weekend. Some that are always fun to see are Auburn-Alabama, Georgia-Georgia Tech, Michigan-Ohio State, Florida-Florida State, USC-UCLA, and Oklahoma-Oklahoma State just to name a few. But, being from the great state of Mississippi this week means only one thing: Egg Bowl Week.

 

MS State senior Andrew Ellard
celebrating Egg Bowl victory in '09

 My favorite game of the season without question is the annual game between Ole Miss and Mississippi State. A pure rivalry game that shows why college football is the greatest thing on this earth. Alums and fans gather together, travel and cheer for their respective schools hoping to take home the trophy and most importanly bragging rights for the next 365 days. It is a rivalry that has seen its ups and downs just like both programs. In years past the Egg Bowl has seen two bowl teams battling for positioning in the standings while some years have yielded a battle for nothing more then state bragging rights and to stay out fo the SEC West cellar (See 2006). The rivalry game has seen it's blowouts but it has also seen its fair share of great games and dramatic finishes. In the Egg Bowl, as is with most rivalry games, you can throw records out the window because I assure you they do not matter anymore. The Egg Bowl pits family members against each other as well as lifelong best friends. High school teammates sometimes play against each other for the first time and some childhood rivalries are even continued here as well. It's a fun game and if you're a fan of either team you know what I'm talking about. When the visiting team runs onto the field followed by a great deal of booing from the home fans, as a fan of the visiting team you love it and it fires you up even more. If you're the host one year it makes you cringe to see the colors of the other team on your campus.

Ole Miss seniors celebrating a 45-0
Egg Bowl victory in '08

As it currently stands Ole Miss holds the edge in the rivalry with an overall record of 60-41-6, but Mississippi State has won 4 of the last 6 meetings. The rivalry has hit its boiling points over the years and it is at an all-time high in its current state. It has been a great deal of time since I last missed an Egg Bowl game and I certainly do not intend to begin this year. I have seen some incredible games over the years that have made me cringe and cry and some that have made me yell the fight song in triumphant joy. But, nevertheless, I will always do whatever it takes to be in attendance for the Egg Bowl. The game, at one point in time, was played on Thanksgiving night aired by ESPN and my father and I would skip out on the family Thanksgiving festivities and head to Oxford/Starkville for the game no matter what. Some years we're blessed with wonderful weather and some years not so much (See 2003 in Starkville). I've never been so freezing cold in my life and it was pouring down rain on top of that! But, whether each team is ranked or whether they're fighting for relevance in mediocrity it is always a battle and a battle that I enjoy year in and year out.

I decided that for my first ever Egg Bowl blog post that I would rank the my opinion of the top 5 Egg Bowl games since 1997 (I picked '97 only because I don't remember games beyond this point honestly). And if you're saying to yourself well he's gonna pick all Ole Miss victories, no I'm most certainly am not. I respect the good games even when my team didn't win. So without further hesitation, here we go!

#5 MS State @ Ole Miss 2006

This was one of those games where the winner not only won the in-state bragging rights but also cemented the loser as the worst team in the SEC West in 2006. Two teams that had struggled greatly all year battled all day in an effort to stand above the hated rival. It was a decently warm day in Oxford, MS on November 25, 2006 for a day game kickoff. I settled into the student section with my roommate as we got ready to watch our first Egg Bowl as freshmen at Ole Miss. I was anxious to see if we could bring the Egg Bowl back to Oxford after Jerious Norwood's ridiculuous thrashing he gave us the year before in Starkville rushing for 204 yards. Now with Norwood gone it was a new man, Anthony Dixon holding the reins for the Bulldogs. The Rebels were led by JUCO transfer Brent Schaeffer and Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis in their backfield.

The game began with Ole Miss scoring first on a 23 yard pass from Schaeffer to the one and only, you guessed it, defensive end Greg Hardy. The rebels led 7-0 early but the Bulldogs controlled the first half behind the legs of Dixon who had 97 yards in the first half. After Dixon punched one int he endzone late in the first half the score was tied at 10 at halftime. Both teams stepped up their defense in the third quarter and only Ole Miss was able to muster a field goal making it 13-10 going to the fourth quarter. With noone scoring going late into quarter Ole Miss made Mississippi State punt with the clock dipping below four minutes and they made them pay:

Marshay Green, a freshman, gives Ole Miss their only touchdown of the second half with this much needed punt return to the end zone. Not to be outdone, State QB Omarr Conner lead the Bulldogs quickly back down the field and with a pass to Jason Husband the Rebels' lead was again cut to 3. Ms State tried for an onside kick with over 2 minutes left and failed to recover, but with three timeouts they stopped the clock and Ole Miss on their next possession and had a chance with the ball late in the game for some magic. They reached midfield and more into Rebel territory under a minute to go. But, the Patrick Willis led Rebel defense held strong and forced State kicker Adam Carlson to kick a 51-yard firld goal that sailed wide left as time expired and Ole Miss recaptured the Golden Egg trophy. It may have not been the best game but the last 5 minutes of the game were very intense as overtime went from being an afterthought to a very real possibility until the field goal attempt was wide left. Honestly, it was a good game between two bad teams, nothing more, nothing less

#4 MS State @ Ole Miss 2000

It was a bitterly cold day on Thanksgiving day in 2000 when the Bulldogs traveled to meet the Rebels in Vaught-Hemingway stadium for a Turkey Day regualr season finale. I remember the whole week leading up to the game people were calling it the "Deuce vs Smoot" game. Deuce McAllister and Romero Miller would be playing their final game in Oxford, MS in a Rebel uniform while the Bulldogs were led by Wayne Madkin, Dicenzo Miller and Fred Smoot. Leaving the Grove and headed to the game it began to rain and my dad and I slipped into the Rebel Shop for some rain gear, not that it made too much of a difference because we were soaked by gametime. The place was packed despite the weather, many there to see Deuce and Romero on Senior Night I suppose and I remember there being a good bit of maroon and white in the stands that evening.


The Deuce over-the-top became his signature TD play that
he used many times at Ole Miss and with the Saints

 The game began with State taking an early lead but the extra point attempt failed and more importantly the State QB Madkin left the game injured and was replace by Kevin Fant, who became Eli Manning's best friend (joking). I remember things not going well for the Rebels in the first quarter and they found themselves down 16-0 early in the game. The Rebels got to work in the second quarter led by Deuce who ran hard and a TD connection from Miller to Grant Heard got the Rebels on the board at 16-7. Things then went sour for the Bulldogs when the Rebels got the ball back and Romero Miller's 50 yard scamper down to the 1 set up a signature Deuce over-the-top touchdown that had the Rebels within two. The wet conditions seemed to bother Ms State the most as shown when they fumbled the ball the next possession and gave the Rebels a short field at the Bulldog 23. Another Heard TD catch and it was Ole Miss up 21-16 at the half.

Once again Deuce was making things happen with his legs when he took the 1st play from scrimmage in the third quarter 72 yards for another score, 28-16 Rebels. But, there was no quit in the Bulldogs as shown before (See 1999 coming later). A Romero Miller interception had the Bulldogs in business and Dontae Walker scored his secon TD of the day closing the gap 28-23. Then, doing his best Deuce impression, Walker busted up the middle for a huge 73 yard TD run giving the Bulldogs the lead again at 30-28. Now we got a game on our hands. Next possession came one of the best Egg Bowl plays in history. With Ole Miss at the Bulldog 20 Romero handed off to Deuce who swept right, stopped and lofted the ball back to Miller for a trick play TD that gave them the lead for good.. The Bulldogs would not score again that night and Ole Miss would capitalize on two more State turnovers and win 45-30. It was a wild game with the weather being so bad, the first 3 quarters were so back and forth that I thought it would come down to the end but one too many mistakes for Ms State helped Ole Miss capture the victory in the 4th quarter.

#3 Ole Miss @ MS State 2007

The 2007 Egg Bowl had a different and odd feel to it going in. Ole Miss was on the brink of a winless SEC campaign and MS State was looking for their seventh regular season victory and to improve on their bowl game status. It was a chilly morning in Starkville, MS that day. We tailgated with some buddies who attended MSU and I had many of them telling me they were very worried about the game. I reassured them that they had little to worry about because this team had zero defense. Ole Miss had played Florida and Alabama close earlier in the season but were blown out by Georgia and Arkansas and a loss to Vanderbilt.

Well the game began and it was evident what the Rebels wanted to do that day, run the football as much as possible. Whether it was a handoff to BenJarvus Green-Ellis or a designed QB run by Brent Schaeffer they were running the ball often and wanted to keep the MS State offense off the field. It paid off on the opening drive of the first half when Green-Ellis ran it in from 14 yards out to open the scoring for the day, 7-0 Rebels. Quite frankly it was an extremely boring first half wth much action at all. Then we arrive at the second half where the Reels once again maintained possession and held onto the ball for awhile and on their first possession of the 3rd quarter they scored on a 13 yard TD pass from Schaeffer to Shay Hodge. I'm sitting in the middle of the student section, yes the State student section, thinking to myself, "Wait a sec here, this could happen."

We reach the final quarter and the Rebels have the ball close to midfield staring at a 4th and 1 from our own 49 yard line. I see the offense staying on the field and I'm like "Oh shit, please tell me we're not going for it." Well we did and it did not work. Green-Ellis got stuffed for a 3 yard loss and the momentum did a complete 180 in Davis Wade Stadium. We had just committed the cardinal sin in a rivalry game. We gave the other team a small glimmer of life, they had one tiny breath and they had to capitalize on it to win. Well they did and in a big way. Soon after they punched it in with a Wesley Carroll pass to Anthony Dixon and we had the ball again. Three and out. Punt. Here's what Derek Pegues did about it:

Davis Wade Stadium is now rocking like I've never heard it before, Oh wait there was that game in 1999, but in all seriousness it was louder than loud. The sound of cowbells ringing were in my head for weeks it seemed like. They had seized the opportunity we gave them and took full advantage of it. Ole Miss proceeded to go 3 and out again and the Bulldogs got in position for a 48-yard field goal to seal the victory which Adam Carlson appropriately did so capping one of the greatest Egg Bowl comebacks ever. An incredible finish to a game I thoguth we'd get killed in. I guess I should've listened more when my State buddies were telling me they were worried. I just wish they would've told me to be worried going into the 4th quarter! An unbelievable day that State fans will certainly never forget. Me either.

#2 Ole Miss @ MS State 1999

This was simply one of the wildest and craziest finishes to a game that I have ever witnessed in my years of watching football and especially this rivalry. This was yet another chilly and slightly wet Thanksgiving evening on national television for the Egg Bowl. Both teams entered the game natioanlly ranked, the Bulldogs at 18th and the Rebels at 23rd. Let's get right into it. The Rebels took the lead on a Romero Miller 30 yard TD strike to Maurice Flournoy at the beginning fo the 2nd quarter and then the Rebels followed that up with a big interception by Eddie Strong to give the Rebels the ball at the Buldogs' 35 yard line. Ole Miss only managed a field goal out off the turnover and was up 10-0. Next, the Bulldogs put together a drive that ended in a Dicenzo Miller 29-yard TD run but a botched extra point made it only 10-6. But, before halftime the Bulldogs had one last possession to gain some ground but the they fumbled a punt and Eddie Strong was there again for the Rebels setting up a 49-yard field goal for Les Binkley which he made.

Another fturnover in the 3rd quarter gave the Rebels excellent field position for an easy score, another Romero Miller TD pass. Leading 20-6 going into the 4th quarter the Rebels seemed to be well in control of the game. Oh really? Well a Ms State drive that ended in a TD pass from Madkin to Donald Lee cut the lead from 20-13. State later botched yet another punt and gave the ball back to the Rebels but the defense came up with a big stop and forced the Rebels to punt. With just over 2 minutes left could they pull off the impossible? Surely not. Well Madkin got the Bulldogs to their own 45 yard line and I'm going to let the video do the explaining for the rest of the dramatic events of the game:

The Bulldogs had pulled off a miraculous comeback. What David Cutcliffe was thinking letting that deep pass play be called I will never know. Now you know why they dubbed this game the "Kick and Pick." Man oh man that was simply an epic game between two solid football teams. MS State went on to defeat Clemson in the Peach Bowl 17-7 while Ole Miss defeated Oklahoma in the Independence Bowl 27-25.

#1 Ole Miss @ MS State 1997

The rivalry and hatred was at an all-time high going into the 1997 Egg Bowl. The MS State Bulldogs led by Jackie Sherrill boasted a 7-3 record and a national ranking of 22 while the Tommy Tuberville led Rebels came in not ranked but with a 6-4 record. It was widely known that the winner of this game would receive a bid to a bowl game while the other could be left out in the cold for the holidays. Well, as I said these two teams really disliked each other and to prove it here is what happened during pre-game warmups (sorry for the video quality).

Once everyone was settled down and tempers were quieted we finally got to the game. Of course the normal light rain was indeed falling again onto Scott Field for another chilly Egg Bowl matchup. The Rebels began with a bang returning the opening kickoff 71 yeards and helped Stewart Patridge get the Rebels in position for an early TD, a 13-yard pass from Patridge to Andre Rone, 7-0 Rebels. The two teams traded blows for awhile and three possessions later the Bulldogs made their first strike of the night. Robert Isaac returned a punt 25 yards and soon after the Bulldogs QB Rob Morgan hit John Jennings in the end zone to tie the game at 7 which was where it was at halftime.

In the 3rd quarter the Bulldogs made a big play when they intercepted Patridge and set the offense up for a drive. Eight plays later they were on the 1 yard line when J.J. Johnson punched it in over the goal line, 14-7 Dawgs. Over the course of the rest of the 3rd quarter each team attempted a field goal and missed it. The defense in the game was incredible to watch with each refusing to back down and laying some big licks on the opposing offense. With 2:12 remaining in the game the Rebels had the ball on their own 36-yard line. Patridge then began one of the most memorable drives in Egg Bowl history. He completed 6-9 passes with the last one being from 10 yards out again to Andre Rone to bring the Rebels within a point. I remember thinking to myself, "Alright let's get this to overtime and take care of business." Then I saw the offense making its way back onto the field. You got to be kidding me right? He's going to go for it? Surely not! I mean we have a bowl game on the line here Tommy, what the hell are you doing!?! Well the Riverboat Gambler held true to his nickname because it was evident that he had every intention of either winning or going home after this play.

No. 85 Cory Peterson made one of the most memorable catches in Egg
Bowl history to all but seal the 15-14 Rebel victory

Stewart Patridge took the snap and with a quick step dropback he lasered a pass to wide receiver Cory Peterson, Mr. Rebel himself, who ran a quick slant route to the goal line. He was well covered and a tight spiral was thrown perfectly by Patridge to where only Peterson could get to it. Peterson slid low to the ground and snagged the ball before it could fall to ground right on top of the goal line. Noone was really quite sure if he had caught it because it had happened so fast btu he did indeed and the stood up and proudly displayed the ball for all to see. The game still had some more dramatics to it as there was still some time on the clock. The Bulldogs started their final possession on their own 36-yard line with 20 seconds remaining and with a personal foul on Ole Miss the ball was at midfield. But, Matt Wyatt's pass was picked off by Tim Strickland to end the game. This one really defined a great game for me because  not only did it have the wild finish but the game from beginning to end was truly a dogfight or should I say Rebel-fight till the very end. One of my most favorite football games ever. It was a great battle by both teams. Ole Miss went on to the Ford Motor City Bowl and defeated Marshall while State's season ended that night.

This rivalry means so much to so many people it's hard to put into words how I feel about it. It's the game you want to win every year no matter what, end of story. If you lose every game except this one you'll probably be a little upset obviously but you'll have that little grin because your team won the one game it just HAD to win. I have been going to Egg Bowls for many years now and I will continue to do so, you got to follow your team through the good and the bad because that's what die hard fans do, they never quit and they always believe. I will be in Starkville this Saturday for the annual battle. It'll probably be a little chilly and I almost wouldn't mind it if it rained a little, it would be like the old days. I have some very dear friends that attend/graduated from that dreaded school in Starkville, MS and while I do love them dearly, those three grueling hours on gameday I have that hatred because well I have to and I'm sure my friends would agree with me on that. Nothing can beat the battle for the Golden Egg between the Bulldogs of Mississippi State and the Rebels of Ole Miss.

By the way feel free to drop some captions on this picture, I'd love to hear some good ones:

EPIC Battle

Bryant-Denny Stadium will be the site of the colossal SEC football
matchup on Nov. 5th with Alabama hosting LSU

Ladies and gentleman get your popcorn ready, ice down a couple cases of brews, hell cook up a few corn dogs if you feel so inclined because we are in for one hell of a ride this Saturday night. This game has just about every possible headline you can think of written all over it. Nick Satan...um I mean Saban leads his team out onto their home turf against his former team, the LSU Tigers, coached by The Mad Hatter himself, Les Miles. I am not affiliated with either school in any way, actually I try to distance myself from both as much as possible! But hey I am still a sports fan and this matchup is one that every sports fan should be waiting on pins and needles to watch. I mean I really can't wait. This has had Pre-National title game written all over it since the beginning of the season. Hell, I was pretty damn sure that both were going to be undefeated going into this game as early as last spring. Needless to say, the anticipation has been building for weeks now as we've watched both teams literally steamroll over their previous opponents en route to this goliath vs goliath matchup. I mean let's be serious people. This game has the POTENTIAL to be one of the greatest college football games ever played. I use the word 'potential' because that's just what it is. Potentially, we could see something that happens once-in-a-lifetime. I mean LSU could come in Saturday night and blow the top off Alabama and coast to a win, but I highly highly doubt that.

When certain games like this one come around every few seasons or so they tend to live up to the billing. It's like the football gods make sure that all the hype and anticipation was well worth it and they make sure to give all the die hard fans the intensely close game they are desparately seeking. (See Texas-USC National Championship game) In a game like this, it's almost like all the fans of both teams want to win and they each want to win a close, well-played and hard fought ballgame. Sure, a blowout by either side would be cool and all but only for the winning team. The real losers of such a blowout, one-sided victory for one of the teams are all of the neutral fans that want to see a legendary and unforgettable game. As a neutral fan in this one this is exactly what I want. I don't want to see Alabama with a 28 point lead halfway through the 3rd quarter. I'd probably just turn it off, continue drinking and enjoy the company of those around me. No, this game must live up to it all. College football wants and needs this game to be an epic battle.

I've been asked many times over the last few weeks who was going to win this game. I have an opinion but I will let you in on that at the end. For now, let's take a look at both teams:

Offense

So far, so good for Jarrett Lee in his 2011 campaign where
he has taken the reins to what is now HIS team

There is only so much to complain about if you're a coach or fan of either team. These offenses are both fundamentally sound. They both run and throw the ball very well. Let's look at QBs. Jarrett Lee currently is 98-155 with 1,250 yards and throwing for 13 TDs and only 1 interception. Not too bad if you ask me. Yes he's split some time with Jordan Jefferson, who can definitely still be a major factor in this game, but I fully believe Lee is the QB to lead the Tigers to a victory. This young man has been through the ringer over the last several years down on the bayou. I think all the rough times he's had has made him a tougher person and a better QB at that. Tide QB A.J. McCarron boasts some solid stats as well. Thus far he is 134-200 for 1,664 yards while throwing for 10 TDs and 3 interceptions. Great numbers for a first year starter in my opinion, especially in the SEC. My edge goes to Jarrett Lee here though. As a more experienced QB who knows this type of environment Lee can weather the storm and stay composed while keeping the Tigers in the game. McCarron will have the Crimson heavy crowd behind him and could benefit from smart playcalling. But, with Lee and the strong possibility that we see experienced QB Jordan Jefferson in this game I lean towards LSU slightly.

Trent Richardson is the leading Heisman Trophy
candidate so far this season

Now onto the running backs. Let's just say that neither team is lacking in this department. Alabama sports a solid rushing trio of Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy and Jalston Fowler who have a combined 1,783 rushing yards through 8 games this season. Trent Richardson is the obvious leader of this group Richardson is a monster running downhill at as big 225 lbs. Richardson tops most Heisman Trophy lists at this point of the season and I wouldn't be suprised if he won it, especially if he leads the Tide to a victory this Saturday. Sitting at 989 yards he will undoubtedly reach the 1,000 yard mark in this game. Lacy is a good compliment with 465 yards this season. Across the field the Tigers have a solid three backs as well that inlcude Spencer Ware, Michael Ford and Alfred Blue. Ware is the top back in their system who has amassed 512 yards this season. Ware is a bruising runner that is not afraid to hit the hole and take on a linebacker one-on-one. As good as he is I have to give the nod to Richardson and company. Trent Richardson had become the best running back in college football and playing in front of his home crowd he should be able to help keep the Tide offense on the field.

Rueben Randle is always a strong
threat in LSU's passing game

As it was with the running backs, the wide receiver's of both teams are exceptionally talented and extremely dangerous at any point in the game. The Tigers receiving corps is led by Rueben Randle who has amassed 638 yards. He is the Tigers' top target through the air. Randle had a great game against Alabama last season with 125 yards and a touchdown to go along with it. Odell Beckham, Deangelo Peterson and Russell Shepard also require a great deal of attention as they can explode at any moment. For the Tide, they lack the stud standout like Randle when they lost Julio Jones last season and it has been a receiver by committee season. Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks lead the Tide. Although it isn't a bad thing it is worth noting that Trent Richardson is the third leading receiver on the team with 212 yards, only 18 yards behind Hanks. This tells me that they aren't ask McCarron to do too much when throwing the ball which is limiting his mistakes and keeping the Tide on the field with the running game. But, what will happen when LSU slows down the running game? Is McCarron ready to use his receivers to make the big play(s) necessary to win? Soon we'll find out.

Defense

Holy Mary Mother of God, if you like to watch great defense then this is the game for you! In my opinion these two teams have the best defenses in the country hands down and without question. Both play hard-nosed defense and smother the opponent with timely blitzes and exceptional defensive line play. It's been fun watching each play this season, except when my team played Alabama, and there is a noticable difference in the hitting of these two teams and the rest of the country. Here's a little prview:

 Don't you just feel sorry for Aaron Rodgers' little brother Jordan, QB for Vanderbilt? I certainly do. As a redshirt junior he has played well for Vandy as of late. He is mobile and can use his legs to generate offense but..well...as you can see he couldn't quite get out of the way of the oncoming train that was Dont'a Hightower. Kirby Smart, Bama's defensive co-ordinator, will disguise the blitz extremely well and when his pack of hungry wolves come at you you better just fall on the ground. Hightower along with Courtney Upshaw are ready for the biggest game to date this season and they know it all leans on them to stop LSU's offense in order for the Tide to win this game.

Mississippi State's running back Vick Ballard learned first hand just how hard LSU's defense will hit you. I'm sure after this play the next huddle went something like this: Ballard - "Hey Relf", Relf - "Yeah buddy?", Ballard - "The next time you see me open out of the backfield in the middle of the field just throw it at my feet", Relf - "Man I feel ya bro, that hit was brutal, I'll take a sack for ya. What ya say?", Ballard - "That'd be great, share some of my pain."  Yes, I'm just poking a little fun but you can imagine it happening. Their defense is menacing and really don't care if they hurt you or not. This is the mentality of a great defense and both these teams think like this.

LSU's defense is coming in holding opponents to just over 251 yards per game this season and an average of a mere 4.0 yards per play. That is an incredible stat knowing that most teams have had to play catch up on LSU which means more passing and still they can only average 4.0 yards a play. In 8 games this season they have allowed just over 2,000 total yards from scrimmage, 1,398 passing and 613 rushing. The LSU defense is 3rd in the nation in points against them. teams are averaging only 11.5 points every game. This is especially impressive because they have played some very solid offensive teams in West Virginia, Oregon and Florida so far this season.

Alabama's defense is limiting opponents to only 180 yards per game, which is 70 yards less than LSU does, very impressive. This totals to an anemic 3.2 yards per play for opposing offenses, Ouch! Even when teams throw the ball more they can only average 3.2 yards a play which is unreal through 8 games in a season. Opponents have accumulated a total of only 1,444 yards against the stiff Bama defense this season, 1,085 passing and just 359 rushing yards. This particular Alabama defense is leading the nation in points allowed per game. They are allowing under a touchdown on average to opposing offenses with a 6.9 average. Playing such teams like Arkansas, Penn State and Florida thus far make this stat especially noteworthy.

How many highlights have you seen this season of Mathieu
stripping the ball carrier annd taking it to the house for a TD?

After reading up on stats and watching video on these tenacious defenses I've decided that it is just about impossible to decide which is better. But, witht hat being said, if you put a gun to my head (which I hope you don't) and made me choose one to go with it would be Alabama. I lke the experience that Upshaw and Hightower bring especially for a game of this magnitude. I'm not knocking LSU's defense at all, in fact I could make a very strong case as to why I'd take them too, but give me Alabama this Saturday especially at home. McCarron better always be watching his back because the Honey Bader aka Tyrann Mathieu will be lurking in the shadows ready to make his move and grab yet another loose ball and take it for a touchdown. Also, LSU's defensive line reminds me alot of Auburn's D-line last year only...much better. It should be a great matchup between them and the O-line of Alabama.

I am really hoping that this game turns out to be just what everyone is expecting it to be. Tickets are topping the $3,000 mark this week and people are planning their Saturday around being able to watch this game. I myself will be in Lexington, KY for the Ole Miss - UK game, I know great matchup right?, but shortly after I will be settled in front of a t.v. with dinner and a glass of some fine Kentucky bourbon ready for the festivities. I have even heard that Baton Rouge's largest high school has changed the time of their homecoming dance from 7 p.m. to 3 p.m. in order for everyone to be able to watch the game. Crazy world we live in, but I'm hoping it lives up to the expectations for everyone. Personally, I will be a spectator hoping for a great, nail-biting game. I do, however, have a small monetary bet on the Tide with a buddy who chose LSU. This is the same friend who was highly confident that Florida State would take down Oklahoma earlier this season, obviously I won that bet too. So if that is any notion as to who will win then it favors Alabama. Give me Nick Saban and his Alabama boys at home under the lights and I'll show you a Tide victory. I could be wrong but I guess we'll see. Plus, we all know how hard it is to beat Bama and the officials in Tuscaloosa. It's like playing a football game against the entire SEC front office with SEC Commissioner Mike Slive as the head referee. Congrats Auburn for being able to accomplish that feat not too long ago. If you want proof, well, then here you go:

This should make LSU fans just that much more pissed off for this coming weekend and get their competitive juices flowing a little bit earlier in the week. They really don't need any reminding about this awful blown call from two years ago in Bryant-Denny, but what can I say, I had to put this in here. (And if you're trying to tell yourself that they made the rght call then you're a fool) Also, no, I am not an LSU homer who is taking up for them. I could care less about the tigers, just offering my opinion on the matter. This is going to be a wonderful game and I hope everyone gets a chance to watch it. It has the potential to being one of the best, if not the best, ever played.

State of Depression

Athletic Director Pete Boone this past Monday
at Houston Nutt's press conference

Embarrassed. Disgusted. Angry. Miserable. These are just some of the feelings that I was having this past Saturday as I sat in a not-so-crowded Vanderbilt Stadium painfully enduring the lowest point of my life as it pertains to Ole Miss football. Some of you might be saying to yourself, "No way that was the worst, Matthew. Surely there have been lower times over the years. I mean Vandy is still an SEC team." Well let me give you a little background for starters.

I have been going to Ole Miss football games since I was 5 years old, and I mean I have been to many many games. At the present time I have not missed a home game since the seventh grade. I have seen some incredible wins and I have seen the worst of the worst when it comes to losses. In 2003 I was there when we played LSU in Oxford for a spot in the SEC title game only to watch the Groza Award winner that year miss two field goals doubling the amount he'd missed all season. I was in Oxford in 2005 when we lost by ten points to a Wyoming team who won 4 games that season in the Mountain West Conference. I was there when we hosted the mighty Demons of Northwestern State in 2007 and had to hold them off at the end of the fourth quarter for an uneasy 7 point victory. I was there three weeks later in beautiful Starkville, MS as I watched us blow a 14 point lead in the 4th quarter in under 8 minutes to our hated rival resulting in us going winless in conference play that season. Just last season I was in the stands as we blew a 31-10 halftime lead to lowly Jacksonville State losing in double-overtime. But none of that compares to what I had to go through this past Saturday in Nashville. I've been embarressed by teams in the SEC before, all of them. I've seen Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn and LSU among others kick our ass and run us out of the stadium several times before. But, when you get run out of Vanderbilt's 3/4 packed football stadium, you have truly gone through a humbling experience.

At the present moment my beloved alma mater is at a major crossroads as a football program. Over the last ten seasons we have seen moderate success going to four bowl games and winning them all against the likes of Nebraska, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State twice. But, is that good enough? Hell no it's not! It's time to compete with the rest of the SEC. The real question is, what is the source of the problem? What is the reason why we can't excel at more of a national level and compete for conference championships while doing so?

I think Orgeron used more than
energy drinks to fuel his fire

Let's start by taking a look at our last 3 head coaches. David Cutcliffe came in with a great staff that put together a couple of solid recruiting classes and reeled in Eli Manning which was his obvious highlight. He won a few bowl games but his recruiting never matched up to the rest of the conference and his success was limited. Cutcliffe was a solid coach who, at point, had solid assistant coaches around him, but after a 4 win campaign in 2004, he was let go. Next up our administration wanted to go off the radar a bit and take a chance on a guy without head coaching experience. In walks Ed Orgeron, the picture to the left speaks for itself. Known for his top notch recruiting, Orgeron was on the other end of the coaching spectrum from Cutcliffe. The Orgeron years were, how can I say this kindly, absolutely God awful miserable! Apparently you actually have to coach the players after you recruit them, who knew? As most Ole Miss fans already know, it was painfully hard to watch a coach bring in the right players and then not know how to coach them to wins. So after a disastorous 2007 season and compiling no conference wins he was shown the door. At that point our administration knows the fans are on the ropes so a top hire was needed.

In comes Houston Nutt, a proven head coach who kicked our ass for many years while at Arkansas. I'll have to admit, I was just excited as the next person. What more could you ask for? We now had a guy leading our team who had been to Atlanta twice, hey that's two more than we've ever had the joy of participating in. Everything seemed to fit, he looked the part, he talked the part, hell after his introduction as the head coach he had me motivated and ready to play college football myself! Next thing you know we are beating Florida in the Swamp, Arkansas at Fayetteville, LSU in Tiger Stadium and MS State 45-0 prior to kicking a top 10 teams ass in the Cotton Bowl. We had it all, what is there to argue about? The 2009 season came and went, while we saw success with 9 wins and another bowl victory true Rebel fans will tell you it was a disappointing season that did not live up to expectations with the team we had in place.

Since then we have a grand total of 1 conference wins and a few embarrassing losses that leave me disgusted and angry. So let's go back to the question I posed above; what is the source of the problem? Well I have two people to blame and I'm sure you can guess who they are: Houston Nutt and our wonderful (sarcastic) Athletic Director Pete Boone. Let me give my opinions on Houston Nutt first. During his first two seasons he won and every single Ole Miss fan could not look at anything beyond that because we didn't want to. We didn't care that he wasn't recruiting the best players in the state, we overlooked the team dismissals and suspensions all because he was winning. When you win games nobody asks questions and that's how our fan base was dring the '08 and '09 seasons, me included. After an awful 2010 season things started becoming a little more clear about Nutt but me and others chalked it up to just a bad season and we needed to move on. Now after the disaster in  Nashville last Saturday it's all clear.

Nutt lost the majority of the fanbase, including me, after a
second straight loss to Vandy in Nashville Saturday

There is absolutely no reason on this Earth why Houston Nutt should be the coach to lead the Rebels out of the tunnel next September. People can argue with me all you want on this topic, but I assure you that you are wrong. Watching Houston's press conference after the loss Saturday I saw a man who was defeated, embarrased, and quite frankly just tired. Houston has been a head coach in this league for a long time, 14 years now I believe. But my problem doesn't lie with his tenure in the conference. My problem is that he is not a Rebel. End of story. Houston Nutt is not a Rebel and never will be. After leaving Arkansas he did what was best for himself and that was to stay in the most powerful conference in America and take our opening as head coach. Smart choice for him, not so much for us. Houston is an Arkansas guy through and though. Born and raised in Arkansas, loved in Arkansas, played and coached in Arknsas and I guarantee you when his time here is over he will spend the rest of his days on a ranch in Arkansas. That's not what we need at Ole Miss. We need someone who wants to be here, who wants to prove themselves as a head coach and wants to do so as an Ole Miss Rebel. I firmly believe that Nutt is not that guy nor does he really want to be. If there was ever a time to make a change for the better and build towards the future we must do so behind a coach who is a leader, one that can surround himself with top assistant coaches, and who is ready to prove he is a winner and that Ole Miss can get back to winning ways.

Nutt should've known from Day 1 that this was Pete
Boone's house and he wasn't giving it up

For quite some time now Pete Boone has been on the proverbial hot seat as it is so clearly thought of today. The time has come and there is no beating around the bush on this one, for Pete Boone to go. I firmly believe that he has done some great things here at Ole Miss but his time running our Athletic Department is up. Time for me to cut the BS. Pete Boone is a nuisance. He is like your hot date's friend being a third wheel preventing you from getting what you want. Our fans are tired of him, hell even our coaches are tired of him. Rumors have circled through Oxford numerous times before of confrontations between our top sport coaches and Boone. Boone has been nickel and diming this University about as much as you possibly can, not letting our teams fly to game destinations when they should and that's just the beginning of the problems. That is unacceptable, completely unacceptable! The Athletic Director is supposed to be your coaches best friend plain and simple. He is supposed to work hand in hand with the coaches of the university and provide them with the tools and resources it takes to be successful. Boone is not doing that. He should be on a friendly relationship basis with alumni especially the ones who give a great deal of their hard earned money to our program. Boone is failing in this department as well. When other fans and coaches around the southeast and country for that matter know your athletic director is dragging your program down and coaches do not want to coach here because of him then you know you have a major problem. I see other schools with athletic directors giving full support to their football coaches and then I turn around and watch Boone show to the Ole Miss world and once again prove to me that he holds all the power when he crashed the party at Nutt's weekly Monday press conference. Whatever Nutt had before that wonderful event is now gone and he is just a puppet in Boone's illustrious show.

Do I believe that Pete Boone loves Ole Miss with all his heart? Yes I do. Am I happy with the things he has done for Ole Miss? Yes I am. I think most Ole Miss fans would agree with me on both accounts. They would also agree with me when I say that the time has come to expect better from our football program. It is time to get rid of the old and get some new Rebel blood in here and put them in the position to lead us back into light. The people are out there and I believe many of them want to be here, the time is now to pony up and put an athletic director in office that is willing to do whatever tit takes to win championships, period. We as Ole Miss fans should expect to compete for a victory in every single game we play, not to lose to Vanderbilt 5 out of 7 games. That is unnacceptable and unless we do what is necessary it will only get worse. It is time for our Administration to look at themselves and realize that thay have to step aside for the good of the program and get Ole Miss back to where it should be.

But, at the end of the day, no matter how dark and bleak it looks I will always support The University of Mississippi and the Ole Miss Rebels athletics program. Nothing in this world can come between my love for this university and it's athletics and nothing ever will. I'm one of the biggest die hard Rebel fans you'll ever meet and nothing will ever change that. Not even if we lose to Vandy again next year.

2011 NFL Season Predictions (AFC)

Tom Brady hasn't been to the

Super Bowl since 2008. Can he lead the

Patriots back to title game?

The 2011 NFL season finally gets underway this Thursday nightat Lambeau Field when the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers face off against the 2009 champion New Orleans Saints. Finally! With the nonstop daily news of the lockout filling up the summer on ESPN instead of analysis of the actual season it seems like it has been forever since we last had some NFL football on the tube. This season looks to be yet another promising one. The league has a solid core of teams that are among the elite, a great mix of teams that could potentially be playoff worthy and on the rise as well as its lowly cellar dwellers that we can all laugh at and make fun of. I honestly can say I see 11 teams that can actually win the Super Bowl, which makes for a very interesting season and potentially an exciting playoffs as well.

So on the eve of the season I thought I'd do a little fortune telling and predict the entire 2011 season by divison as well as the NFC and AFC playoffs and ultimately a Super Bowl champion. It will be interesting to see how good (or bad) I do looking back on it at season's end. So here is the AFC side of the league. Enjoy!

*denotes wild card team

AFC East          AFC North       AFC South      AFC West

Patriots      12-4             Steelers     11-5             Texans      10-6           Chargers      12-4

Jets             11-5*          Ravens      10-6*           Colts         10-6           Chiefs            9-7

Bills            6-10            Browns      7-9              Titans        7-9              Raiders         8-8

Dolphins    6-10             Bengals      3-13            Jaguars      6-10           Broncos        4-12

In the East I really like the Patriots to take the division crown for the third consecutive season. With Tom Brady at the helm you can't go too far wrong. I mean they guy had 4 interceptions last year for crying out loud! But, with the additions of Albert Haynesworth, Stevan Ridley, and Brian Waters I think they will yet again reign supreme in the East. I have the Jets just a game behind and a wild card team because I just don't think they are as explosive. I'm not sold on the passing game with the loss of Braylon Edwards and the addition of a now free Plaxico Burress although the running attack should be better with a healthy Shonn Greene. The Bills are still sitting close to the bottom even though they have some solid players in Fred Jackson, C.J. Spiller and Steve Johnson. The Dolphins do not impress me at all, I mean if you're gonna have Reggie Bush be your starting RB, well, let's just say I'm not buying it.

Beast, Machine? Call him

what you want

The AFC North is a tough division to win year in and year out but I'll take the Steelers again this year. With Big Ben still behind the wheel you can't go wrong, the guy is the definition of a gamer. I love Rashard mendenhall and look for the speedster Mike wallace to rack up some serious stats this season. Behind them I have their nasty rival, the Ravens, who I also have as a wild card team. The addition of Lee Evans to go along with Anquan Boldin will help Flacco while Ray Rice punds he rock. But are Ray Lewis and Ed Reed losing a step? Next, I have the real McCoys, the Browns, led by improved and impressive Colt McCoy who also has the luxury of handing off to the monster in Peyton Hillis. But, no defense will hurt them. The Bengals, well just ask Carson Palmer how he thinks they'll do.

In the South I have a changing of the guard happening this year with the Texans being my pick as division winner. The offense is loaded with Schaub, Foster, and Johnson. They will be explosive in additon to an improved defense. That's right, I have the Cots missing out on the playoffs for the first time since 2001. Peyton Manning will be fine once back from neck surgery but how good are the guys around him? Will Austin Collie get yet another consussion? Have Freeney and Mathis lost a step? An look for Reggie Wayne to be slightly less productive than in years past. The titans have Chris Johnson which will win them some games  and Hasselbeck will do well but with only Britt and Washington cathcing the ball, and I'm not fond of the defense., better luck next year. The Jaguars just cut David Garrard to go with Luke McCown, yeah I don't think so. Not even MJD can help that.

Out west it's time the Chargers turned all the wonderful stats into W's on the shcedule and this year I think they do in a big way. Phillip Rivers is the best QB in the league without a Super Bowl victory and has some great weapons to thrown to. The loss of Darren Sproles will hurt but they will be fine.. In second I have the Chiefs. I am a firm believer in Jamaal Charles, guy is a beast and will only get better but the Chiefs need more consistency on the defensive side of the ball. The Radiers are well, the Raiders, and as much as I love McFadden and Bush running the ball I don't think jason Campbell is the answer at QB even though the defense will be solid. The Broncos are in last becuse well they are not good. Even with Moreno running the ball and some decent passing game attacks the defense will be bad again. Good thing they didn't waste a first round pick two years ago on their third string QB right? Idiots.

Wild Card Round                                            Divisional Round

Patriots and Chargers receive byes

W (6) Ravens @ (3) Steelers                                                            (6) Ravens @ (1) Patriots W

(5) Jets @ (4) Texans W                                                                  (4) Texans @ (2) Chargers W

                                                      AFC Championship

                                                    (2) Chargers @ (1) Patriots W

I believe this years Super Bowl run started last season but with another botched playoff attempt after a succesful regular season the patriots will learn from last years mistakes and make their way through the treacherous AFC playoffs. The Chargers offense will slow in the blistery cold weather in Foxborough, Massachusetts and I sense a game winning field goal kick. That just seems to be the way the Pats like to do things up there. The question now is will Brady get revenge on his 2008 Super Bowl loss? Will the Patriots return to their championship years of the early 2000's? Stay tuned to find out.

This is the AFC version of the season, the post below is about the NFC ALONG with my Super Bowl pick and analysis. Keep reading!!!

2011 NFL Season Predictions (NFC) & Super Bowl

Is Matt Ryan still scratching his head about that home
playoff loss to the Packers last season? Or are the
Falcons ready to soar even higher in 2011?

The NFC has laid claim to 3 of the last 4 Super Bowl champions and seem to have several legit contenders for it again this year. The NFC West is the only division where I do not see a potential Super Bowl contender, but that doesn't mean there arent others. Philly, Dallas, Green Bay, New Orleans and Atlanta are the teams where the NFC champion will come from. The question is who? Well being more of an NFC guy I have really delved into the top teams of the conference to see what I like and don't like about their teams.

The question is whether the NFC is finally ready to prove to the football world that they are just as tough, and good,  as their counterparts in the AFC. it has long been thought by some that the AFC is the toughest of the two divisions but I sincerely disagree. The NFC plays some real football as well and have made strong arguments about being the best conference.

In my previous post I predicted the outcomes of each division in the AFC and now I will do the same for the NFC. Afterwards I will shell out my NFC playoff predictions and then ultimately y Super Bowl 46 analysis.

So here's what will happen, maybe, in the NFC this season. Enjoy!

*denotes wild card team

NFC East           NFC North          NFC South        NFC West

Cowboys   10-6         Packers        11-5          Saints         11-5         Rams             8-8
Eagles        10-6*       Bears             9-7           Falcons         11-5*     Cardinals      8-8
Giants         8-8          Vikings          8-8           Buccaneers   7-9        Seahawks     7-9
Redskins    5-11        Lions             7-9           Panthers       3-13      49ers            4-12

In the East I have the Cowboys sticking it to the "Dream Team" of the Eagles and winning the tie breaker to become division champions. Tony Romo is back from injusry and will be rested and ready to go and as one of my Cowboy buddies convinced me, and after some further research, watch for Felix Jones to have a breakout season alongside an improved defense now under Rob Ryan. Right behind them and making the wild card are the Eagles. They had a great offseason with many solid additions to their team but I think teams are starting to figure out Michael Vick more just like when he was in Atlanta, but they're still very solid. Behind them I'll take the Giants. I lvoe the offense but they have had a bad case of the injury bug in the pre-season and I think it ultimately hurts them. Lastly, we have the Redskins. Rex Grossman, how are you still in the league.

Jermichael Finley is back
this season with a vengeance

The North is the home of last seasons two NFC championship game teams and the Super Bowl Champion. I fully expect the Packers to win this division. They have so many weapons with Grant, Finley, Jennings, Hawk, and of course, Aaron Rodgers. They'll be back in the playoffs. Behind them I have the Bears because of their solid defense that always seems to come to play, but with a speculative offensive line and immobile Jay Cutler I'm not sold on them this season. Behind them by 1 game are the Vikings. Adrian peterson keeps his legs churning for some wins and Donovan McNabb will keep them in games but not enough to be playoff bound. Lastly, but closely behind, I have the lions. I really like what they've done on the defense with Fairley and Suh and Calvin Johnson is possibly the best receiver in the game. They are on the rise.

Next, the NFC South was the only division in football last year where 3 teams had double-digit wins, not too shabby. A very powerful, QB strong division will be very close this season with the Saints edging out the Falcons in a tie-breaker. With the addition of Mark Ingram their running game is, in my opinion, better than it was when they won it all in 2009. Drew Brees has many weapons to throw to and will be deadly. The Falcons drafted Julio Jones and this will help the other weapons in their arsenal, Roddy White, Gonzalez and Douglas. Oh yeah and Michael Turner can run the ball. Behind them are the Buccaneers led by up and coming QB Josh Freeman. They are a young team that will win some games but last eyar they didn't win a single game against a big team. They're not there yet. Lastly, the Panthers. Cam Newton will struggle and their RB duo will not be able to carry them.

Last year I don't think this division even deserved a playoff team, but was proven wrong when the Seahawks upset the Saints. I expect to see an improved Rams team this season especially Sam Bradford who is on his way to being a solid QB in this league. But questions still remain on defense and I think they can win this division with a .500 record. Behind them I'll take the Cardinals. With possibly the best receiver in the game and an improved QB they can definitely still win this division. Kevin Kolb takes the reigns and has some quality weapons around him. In third place I'll go with the Seahawks. In my opinion they had a downgrade in QB losing Hasselbeck and adding Tavaris Jackson. They still have holes on defense that will hurt them. Lastly, we have the 49ers who can't figure out their QB situation at all. Vernon Davis and Frank Gore are solid but without a QB I have little confidence.

Wild Card Round                                                    Divisional Round
Packers and Saints receive byes
(6) Eagles @ (3) Cowboys W                                                           (3) Cowboys @ (2) Saints W
W (5) Falcons @ (4) Rams                                                               W (5) Falcons @ (1) Packers

                                                       NFC Championship
                                                      (5) Falcons @ (2) Saints W

I have the NFC South renewing their most fierce rivalry in the NFC Championship this season. The Battle of "Who's Dome is Better" will take place in New Orleans with the Saints prevailing. These two teams are insanely close in my opionion. Their talent levels are closely matched and are both led by top QB's. Home field will play a factor in helping lead New Orleans to another Super Bowl. I think the Saints have a more balanced running game than the Falcons even though the Falcons receiving core is more star studded. The X-factor in this game is Saints tight end Jimmy Graham who will catch 2 TD's en route to a 31-27 win.

My Super Bowl 46 pick is the New England patriots vs the New Orleans Saints. The game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. This should be a very exciting game with many notable names taking part. Drew Brees and the Saints hope to benefit from being in a dome for the big game utilizing their speed and passing attack. Tom Brady leads the Patriots into the game hoping for a bruising running attack mixed with timely passing and a stout secondary to slow down the Saints. The Patriots get off to an early start and hold a 17-10 halftime lead. Sean Payton elects against the onside kick thos time around but Brees hits Lance Moore for a strike to tie the game. Early in the 4th, the Saints opportunistic defense picks off Brady and gets it down to the red zone where Mark Ingram punches it in. Down 7, Brady leads his team down the field and BenJarvus Green-Ellis pounds one into the endzone. Now late in the 4th quarter the Patriots come up with a big stop and get Brady the ball back with 2 minutes to go. Driving them down the field, Gostkowski kicks a 47 yard field goal to win the Super Bowl 27-24 over the Saints and Brady once again reigns supreme on top of the NFL mountain.

 Feel free to drop a comment and let me know what you think, any opinions are welcomed. Enjoy the 2011 NFL season!