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2009 Ole Miss Football Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd on August 3, 2009

ole miss 8309 The Florida Gators had just one loss in their 2008-09 BCS championship season and Ole Miss was responsible for giving it to them. At that time, the win was considered a fluke by some, but the Rebels proved all their doubters wrong by winning their final six games and capping things off with a win over high-powered Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. Find out if the Ole Miss Rebels will pick up right where they left off last season in this 2009 college football betting preview. Ole Miss is listed at +3,000 to win the 2009 BCS title at BetUS.

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Offense- Jevan Snead looks to be Mississippi’s best quarterback since Eli Manning. The Texas transfer threw for 2,762 yards and 26 touchdown strikes last season and finished only behind Tim Tebow and Matthew Stafford in terms of efficiency in the SEC. Head coach Houston Nutt expects Snead to pick up right where he left off this season. The Rebs will miss Mike Wallace and his ability to stretch the field, but Shay Hodge and Dexter McCluster still leave Snead with a pair of dangerous weapons at his disposal. Hodge is coming off a season in which he caught 44 passes for 725 yards and eight scores. In fact, he is the active leader in the SEC in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. McCluster is a game-breaker and the Rebel coaching staff has come up with all sorts of different ways to get the ball in his hands. He caught 44 passes last season and rushed for over 500 yards. Many outside the SEC took notice of McCluster when he torched Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl to gain offensive MVP honors in that game. The offensive line loses three starters, but I don’t expect that to slow down what should be a fairly potent offense once again.

Defense - Ole Miss returns eight starters from a defense which allowed only 19.0 points per game (20th nationally) and 307.2 yards per game (19th nationally). The Rebs were especially tough on the run, allowing only 85.5 yards per game on the ground (4th nationally). The Rebels lose All-American Peria Jerry up front, but plenty of talent remains on the offensive line. Greg Hardy and Marcus Tillman form one of the most feared defensive end duos in the league. Hardy finished third in the SEC with 8.5 sacks while only playing part-time because of a foot injury. He is expected to be at full speed this fall. The linebacker unit should be solid with returning starters Allen Walker and Jonathan Cornell, but both could be upstaged by Auburn transfer Patrick Trahan. The defensive backfield was really the only vulnerable spot of the Ole Miss defense in 2008. That will likely remain the case, but that doesn’t mean these guys won’t make plays. Free safety Kendrick Lewis is the team’s leading returning tackler with 85 stops and its top returning interception guy with four picks last season. Marshay Green finished the season out strong and took home defensive MVP honors in the Cotton Bowl. He’s back at one of the corner slots.

Prediction: 2nd SEC West – Ole Miss should be right in the thick of things in the SEC West. Plenty of talent is back on both sides of the football and the team has the benefit of a favorable schedule (Florida is not on the schedule and Bama is a home game). Ole Miss is listed at +675 to win the SEC at Bookmaker.

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